ZAP Shakes it Up at NADA: Dealers Place 2,300 EV Orders
by Jacob Gordon, Nashville, TN on 03.16.07
We reported at the end of January that ZAP would be showing up at this year’s North American Dealer’s Association (NADA) convention in Las Vegas to try and drum up mainstream interest for electric vehicles. At the center of ZAP’s attack was an entirely new EV based around Lotus Engineering’s APX crossover, the ZAP-X. It certainly seems that the satisfying aesthetics and impressive performance stats (350 miles per charge and 155 mph) of the ZAP-X made a big impression on the world of auto dealing. The EV maker reports that 19 dealers made non-cancelable purchase orders for a total of 2,300 electric cars. ZAP says this almost doubles the current number of ZAP dealers. Orders included the ZAP-X, the Obvio! 828 two-seater, and the Xebra pickup. ::ZAP
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I think the electric car is a great alternative to the gas guzzlers but my only issue with most models is that they're always, either, a high end car that no one can really afford or designed to look like a futuristic car with few practical capabilites. Sure the two-seater is great but what about people who have more that one other person and a backpack to haul around. Does anyone know of any electric cars that are modeled in a more practical way?
Jacob:
Dice, these cars are coming, I believe, but aren't here yet. The Zap-X is an exciting step because it is more practical than most electric cars we see proposed. It will surely still be expensive, but will come down in price as the technology advances. Tesla promises their next car after the Roadster will be a family car. It's just a matter of time and strong consumer interest.
Great to hear. Thanks for the info. I'm excited to see what tesla's new model will look like.
for all the inovative designs and technology Zap is producing they could really use a better website. The thing looks 5 years old. the logo on their site looks like it came out of wordart on microsoft word. it seems like they are trying to be quirky but they are failing miserably with the website design.
Ok I see some cooler looking cars here, why did ZAP only show 3 wheel cars in Chicago that many laughed at?
The problem electric car makers have in the US are auto safety laws that make cars too heavy by design to operate efficiently as electrics. By making the Zap vehicle in a three wheel model, it qualifies as a motorcycle and is therefor not subject to the auto safety standards.