Trying to generate some electricity for its Xebra electric sedan or pickup, the manufacturer ZAP announced that it is offering free electricity to charge there electric vehicles for one year.
When you reserve a Xebra electric sedan or pickup online at http://www.zapworld.com you get a free Kill-A-Watt Smart Power Meter and free electricity for one year.
ZAP created the Xebra electric vehicle through a strategic partnership with a Chinese automaker. It is one of only a few
street-legal electric vehicles in mass-production today that can travel faster than 25 MPH. Continue reading →
Like something right out of a vintage Popular Mechanics, an automotive start up named Aptera managed to attract quite a bit of attention for itself earlier in 2007, when its concept car turned as many heads for its space age looks as it did for its promised 200 MPG range. Continue reading →
So there! VW not content to keep the current trend green, is now showing off an eco friendly concept of a different color.
The “Space Up Blue” concept is a battery driven guy that looks like a cross between a van and wagon. The car is not ready to win plaudits for its skin, but VW feels that its battery technology is cutting edge. Continue reading →
There was chatter at the LA Auto Show that GM’s top talker, Bob Lutz, was starting to distance himself from the original design of the upcoming Chevy Volt. The appealing design for the battery operated Volt, caught the eye of many.
It seems, and rightfully so, that if you are building an eco friendly vehicle it should get the best gas mileage possible. It appears Lutz’s coif started blowing in the wrong direction when he heard the wind tunnel results for the current concept design.
The analysis showed that a different shape and aerodynamic configuration could produce better results.
“Test vehicles will be running in the first quarter of 2008 with 40 to 45 miles of electric drive, ” Lutz said. GM is currently in the process of dropping the bottom out of old Malibu’s and have them fitted with Volt battery packs. Testing is expected to begin in 2008.
Lutz said that the Volt will be on sale by November 2010. Cost is expected to be in the 30 grand range with the hope of selling an impressive 60,000 units in the first year of production.
There has been a lot of buzz lately about the Tesla Roadster. Even Los Jalops are keeping their eyes peeled for them, especially when the passenger is from the competition. Earlier this month, the folks at Mahalo sent the super sweet Veronica Belmont out to Tesla to check out the roadster for real. With a 0-60 time in the 4 second range, Miss Belmont had a hard time keeping her camera steady. On the practical side, we also get to see a bit of the real world side of the Tesla, like what kind of apparatus owners will need to mount in their garage.
Meet the Aptera, an 850 LB, 330 mpg concept car that should be available soon from manufacturer Accelerated Composites. Powered by a 12 hp diesel and a 25 hp DC motor, this hybrid features a CVT transmission and will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in a respectable 11 seconds. Make no mistake though, this thing is no Tesla on the road.
Time will tell if the public is ready for the look of the space age composite body.
We don’t normally pay to much attention to electric cars here in The Garage. They don’t make enough noise for our level of maturity. This thing is just too interesting though. The Zoop is an electric car, designed by Maison de Courreges. This house is actually a fashion design firm. Perhaps that explains the colour coordinated wheels. I hope it has one heck of an A/C unit.
