Zap! about to join Tesla with Lotus-designed electric cars?
While there is already one Lotus-designed all-electric car making headlines, the Tesla Roadster, perhaps it's time to get spoiled. We might soon find out what Lotus can do for electric car company Zap!, which currently operates in the NEV market. An exterior redesign does not automatically come with dramatic changes under the hood, but NEVs might evolve far beyond their current boxy or too-futuristic looks if this arrangement works out.
The details of the deal are that Lotus Engineering is working on a feasibility study for Zap! to develop "a number" of new electric cars. The idea is to integrate major components, like new motor designs, controllers, batteries and charging systems to build a stylish EV with maximum consumer appeal. Lotus technical centers in Hethel, UK, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will be involved in the study.
I'm not sure how this relates to the news from Obvio! (of Brazil) late last month that it had picked Lotus Engineering to help develop two new microsports cars. Obvio!'s distribution partner in North America is Zap! We'll try and find out.
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[Source: Just-Auto (subs req'd)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lucio 3:43PM (1/16/2007)
It's orrible!!!
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Peter 5:10PM (1/16/2007)
As far as I'm concerned, the more Lotus designed electric cars on the market the better. Lotus has always been a leader in light weight design and lighter cars are the way to better economy and better performance.
Now if we could just convince these electric car companies to remove the exclamation marks from the ends of their names...
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Murc 10:27PM (1/16/2007)
If I saw that car parked on the side of the road...I would first laugh...then after I hwas done laughing at it...I would walk up to it and roll it on its side.
They could get rid of the exclamation point...and replace it with an "S". So when I when this car pulls up behind me, I look in my mirror and it says "spaz".
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Andy 11:58PM (1/16/2007)
Zap!'s current EVs are ugly jokes; more stuff like the Tesla is great. The only thing I dislike is the price tag of the Tesla. Make a quick, attractive EV for under $20,000 and you'll have a hit.
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IanJ 10:17PM (1/16/2007)
For what it's worth, Zap! doesn't only operate in the NEV market. Their Xebra and Xebra PK are "motorcycles" which are theoretically capable of 40 MPH top speeds. I rode in one, and we got up to a measured 35 MPH (via GPS). Definitely not a NEV.
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Sebastian 10:59PM (1/16/2007)
Ian, good point. I'd forgotten about that.
Murc and Lucio, just FYI, this is one of Zap!'s current models, not the new Lotus-designed ones
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CM 1:53AM (1/18/2007)
Well, the Obvio! models that Zap! is planning to import from Brazil! (sorry, bad punctuation habit!) are a little better looking and much better performing than the Xeba! line. Unfortunatley the Obvio! designers seem to have a preference for garish color schemes.
Lotus design and engineering can certainly improve the design and engineering and color schemes. Let us hope they can also persuade them to stop using superfluous punctuation.
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Justin 2:51AM (1/19/2007)
"Make a quick, attractive EV for under $20,000 and you'll have a hit."
Haha, obviously. A quick, attractive ICE car under 20k is a hit. A more relistic current goal is 50k for an EV.
$50k, 90mph, 200 mile range, 4 passenger, attractive = hit
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Hippie Hunter 9:26PM (1/17/2007)
"Make a quick, attractive EV for under $20,000 and you'll have a hit."
Ha ha ha ha ha! ONLY THEN will you have a hit. EVs are duds.
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