Zap claims 100 mile range in lab test with lithium battery pack
Zap has been talking for some time now about offering optional lithium ion batteries on their three-wheeled Xebra vehicles. The Xebra currently uses a lead acid pack the that offers a claimed range of 25 miles. The company has announced that they have lab tested a Xebra truck with a lithium ion pack and achieved a range of 100 miles.
Danish technology company Lithium Balance has two Xebras that they are using for battery and management software development. Zap CEO Steve Schneider recently cut a deal with Chinese company Advanced Battery Technologies to lithium batteries for Zap vehicles.
[Source: Zap]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
AlexP 11:09AM (7/26/2007)
Would it be too much to ask to give it a fourth wheel? -_-
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Tim Russell 11:43AM (7/26/2007)
If they add a 4th wheel it would be considered a car and thus have to conform to auto safety standards. That would add hundreds of pounds to the vehicle and chop range and speed. I looked at one on Zap's "cars" at the Chicago auto show and it would be a death trap in a crash with even a small car.
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beelzabush 4:01PM (7/26/2007)
add the fourth wheel and it becomes subject to safety standards which would raise the cost tremendously. 3 wheels- a motocycle, four wheels- a car
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OhmExcited 11:39AM (7/26/2007)
Yes, actually, because they can class it as a motorcycle with 3.
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AlexNC 11:54AM (7/26/2007)
awesome awesome awesome!!
I have been waiting for this news for a while now. Hopefully it will not make them too expensive. I have been eyeing the truck versions with the solar panel on it.
The good thing about the 3 wheels is that it classifies as a motorcycle. Meaning less expensive taxes and insurance rates.
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Phil L. 12:20PM (7/26/2007)
While they add some weight, it'd be nice to see ABS and airbags.
Working around safety laws by creating a 3 wheeled EV that's legally a motorcycle is a neat way to develop technology. But an EV with mass-market appeal will need to offer decent safety equipment.
That said, it's nice to see Li-ion technology expanding into new markets, and I hope this paves the way to broaden the market - and lower the cost - of these batteries.
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AlexNC 2:05PM (7/26/2007)
My goal is to get the solar version of the truck ... The ZAP Solar Truck. Or get the truck and make my mod my own solar panels on it. They say you can get about 5 miles with the solar alone, a day. That would be plenty for me to drive to work and back. I would like to add a solar panel to the top of the truck too, and maybe the sides, to get more surface area = more free charge. How cool would it be to be able to get 5-10 miles of free charge a day?!
http://www.zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=390
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Big John 3:35PM (7/26/2007)
a great little truck whats wrong with only having
3wheels.a lot of good cars in the past only had 3
wheels . mine was cheap to run and tax great stuff
no gas will they put a bigger tax on it because it
don't make money for them or will they tax the sun
if you use solar power . Have fun Big John
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Mulad 2:30PM (7/26/2007)
I actually saw one of these trucks in my neighborhood a week ago. It's somewhat narrower than a regular car.
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mperry 3:39PM (7/26/2007)
You'd like airbags? It'd be nice if it even had a bumper.
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AlexNC 3:47PM (7/26/2007)
The argument about safety is not relevant to this vehicle. This is not a safety car. It is a modified motorcycle/scooter. It is for people that want the mileage of an electric motorcycle/scooter, but with the weather guard and trunk space of a car - not the safety of a car.
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Phil L. 4:43PM (7/26/2007)
But vehicles like the Xebra clearly look and act like more than a scooter. There are people who would buy a Xebra who wouldn't buy a scooter, likely in part due to the perceived safety of an enclosed passenger compartment.
If vehicles like thist become popular, they will be used in manners that scooters are not, no matter what the original intent. At that point, the safety issues will become important. Witness what has happened to the UK's 'quadricycle' classification, and the safety problems that arose when they became far more popular than originally envisioned:
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/05/09/tiny-all-electric-quadricycles-might-get-redone-safety-test-in-t/
I believe it's fair to consider the issues now. Should vehicles like the Xebra meet safety standards similar to NEVs? (perhaps they do - a topic I'm not entirely familiar with) Should some other standard apply? I don't believe saying "it's a motorcycle - don't expect any protection at all" won't be adequate when more than just a few of these are on the road.
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TIMMAH! 5:13PM (7/26/2007)
"CEO Steve Schneider recently cut a deal with Chinese company Advanced Battery Technologies to lithium batteries for Zap vehicles."
Yeah just wait until they start finding toothpaste in the lithium...
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Jason Dunham 9:07PM (7/26/2007)
When a big auto company decided to launch a car they usually have a billion dollar budget. ZAP doesn't have that kind of money, so they had to think creatively to reduce cost. ZAP went with 3 wheels because they wanted to bring an EV to the market fast and they wanted the vehicle to be affordable so that anyone could buy one.
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