TTAC tests the ZAP Xebra, hates it
Paul Niedermeyer over at TTAC got the chance to drive a ZAP Xebra pickup and his review pretty much reads as you would expect. The car is poorly assembled, slow, short range and dangerous. He goes so far as to refer to it as a motorized wheelbarrow/hair-shirt - which, despite what you think of the car, is pretty funny. Was there anything that he did like about the Xebra? Nope.
We have had the opportunity to drive the Xebra, and we also found the machine to be a bit on the slow side. We also noted the small interior and poor build quality. We still maintain, though, that the vehicle is fine for what it is. If used as a vehicle to get to the grocery store, campus, library etc, it'll do fine. If you actually plan to drive the Xebra every day, or on high-speed or high traffic roads, you should look elsewhere.
[Source: The Truth About Cars]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stins 7:21PM (3/14/2008)
I'm working on a product research and review site and we have the Xebra listed. One of our users wrote a really thorough review of his Xebra last night and definitely had a lot of the same complaints. But at the end of the day, he did say "this is the most fun car to drive I have ever owned! Because it is 100% electric, it never uses gas, and is dead-quiet when stopped, and it has no exhaust. You drive right past gas stations without ever stopping, and you fuel it by plugging it into an ordinary 110-volt electrical outlet." You can read the rest of his Zap Xebra EV review here: http://greenhome.huddler.com/products/zap-electric-cars-xebra-ev/reviews/81
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KarenRei 7:42PM (3/14/2008)
The way I look at it, you can spend $17k and get a piece of junk like a Xebra, or you can spend $10k more and get an Aptera Typ-1e with a 120 mile range, 85mph top speed, ridiculously low drag, roomy, and so on, a car which was described by the Popular Mechanics guy who drove it (in his first reaction after stopping) as:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Ke1VWhZJA
"I just spent a couple of minutes driving the Typ-1 around, and what's interesting about it is, it's really quick! I mean, you step on the gas and it goes, and that's the torque of the electric motor. It's also got great visibility, and it's also kinda fun! People stop and stare at you in this thing; it's better than driving a Lamborghini in my opinion."
Gee, which to pick... piece of junk Chinese golf cart that barely moves, or car that Popular Science's reviewer thinks is better than driving a Lamborghini...
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BenE 8:26PM (3/14/2008)
Looks like to ones you see everywhere in Italy except the Italian ones have motorcycle engines.
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Kardax 9:28PM (3/14/2008)
KarenRei: Putting on my ZAP! hat for a moment, you can't actually buy an Aptera right now. But you can go to you're nearest ZAP! dealer today and drive home your very own all-electric Xebra!
Now, throwing the ZAP! hat off and burning it, I totally agree with you :) The Xebra is an overpriced piece of junk. The 6-month warranty says it all.
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Jason Driver 5:03PM (3/17/2008)
What other company offers a vehicle for under $12,000? The people that buy electric vehicles are looking to save money and the environment. How do you save money by paying $60,000 for an electric car. ZAP is actually getting EVs on the road today and something should be said for that! Their stock is a bargain by the way, at $.58 a share for a company that is actually producing a vehicle today. Other start-up publicly traded companies talk about a future vehicle and their shares are priced much higher. These cars are not for everyone, but you got to hand it to the company for their efforts.
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adam.neusbaum 9:27AM (5/08/2008)
$17k? I don't remember paying $17k and it's only been three weeks since I purchased my xebra sedan. Sure, $13981 out the door was a bit much from my local dealer but I expected the sales tax & destination charge etc I after working sales I don't negotiate[If I feel it's a fare price then I'll buy]. so I loaded it up in the back of our V6 Toyota Tundra and headed for home(tight fit). I instantly started a no drive marathon with the Tundra. I wanted to see just how little fuel would have to pay out for the month of May compared to $240 in March & $210 for April. I also called and reduced it's insurance to "pleasure vehicle" since it'll be sitting from here on. Was a minor savings but certainly helps. I tell folks that the zap does just what I expected, no more no less. I am truly surprised that it gets such POSITIVE interest from on-lookers. I don't really care what others think but I am shocked that I get more thumbs up than middle fingers as I had supposed. They don't seem to mind dragging behind me on HWY 441/US 27 cruising @ 40 mph. I think they are more distracted examining the verbage on the back{electric} than our rate of travel. I almost don't know what to do with my own expressions anymore: Do I just get dark shades and grin or do a parade wave as I drive by? This has been the most troubling part of owning a xebra. You don't always feel enthusiastic when driving to and from work but you should to respond to all the cheerful enquiries you get.
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Niralisherni 6:09AM (6/05/2008)
This is a balanced view:
http://greenhome.huddler.com/products/zap-electric-cars-xebra-ev/reviews/81
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