ZAP Xebra

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The Zap Xebra concept car.
The Zap Xebra concept car.
This article is about the ZAP Xebra electric vehicle. For the Xebra medical imaging software, see Xebra (medical imaging software).

ZAP Xebra is an electric car that was launched in May 2006 in the United States of America (US) market by the ZAP corporation. It is classified legally as a three wheel motorcycle, but is available in both sedan (model SD) and pickup (model PK) truck variants. It has seat belts. It does not have regenerative braking. The PK pickup has a dump bed, with fold-down sides and tailgate, that allows easy access to the batteries, controller, motor and charger.

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[edit] Characteristics

A Zap XebraTruck
A Zap XebraTruck

The Xebra was developed by ZAP, a public company based in Santa Rosa, California.

The top speed of the Xebra is 36 mph (60 km/h), with a range of about twenty miles[1] with the standard batteries, or forty miles (64 km) with the optional extended range batteries. The sedan version can carry up to 4 people. The listed cargo weight for both the SD sedan and the PK pickup is 500 lb (230 kg), although PK owners have carried more weight than that.

An optional rooftop-mounted solar panel on the Xebra Xero variant allows for trickle solar charging, which should lengthen the range of the 6 traction batteries; it is also available as a roof over the PK pickup bed.

At a dealer near Seattle, WA, the SD sedan lists for US$10,500, and the PK pickup truck model with dump bed for US$11,900 in December 2006 (€8,790).

The Xebra is the first production vehicle to be imported from China to the USA, and is available from licensed ZAP dealers. According to the owner and dealer reports, some of the early 2006 models had problems with the body work, DC-to-DC converters, controllers, or chargers. They were not properly waterproofed and would degrade and malfunction when wet. Newer models delivered in 2007 are waterproofed and these problems are resolved.[2] More recent models still include many low-quality parts which are routinely replaced by Xebra dealers and owners. Some replacement parts, even on new vehicles, are hard to find.[3]

According to various news reports, over a hundred and fifty Xebras were sold in 2006. The PK became available in late 2006. According to Zap! 500 Xebra sedans and pickups were ordered by July 2007.[4]

A view of the interior of the ZapCar
A view of the interior of the ZapCar

Some details:

[edit] Uses

In addition to ordinary commuter use, 42 Xebra sedans and pickups were deployed by UPS during the 2007 Christmas season in Petaluma, California. They were intended for use in dense neighborhoods and urban areas where larger delivery vans were less efficient and more difficult to maneuver or park.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ http://www.wired.com/cars/futuretransport/magazine/16-04/ff_zapped>
  2. ^ Higley, Mark: "Xebra World", [1] , 17 February 2007.
  3. ^ Woodward, Norm: Xebra_EV discussion group thread. [2], 1 October 2007.
  4. ^ Zap! [3] , 17 July 2007.

[edit] External links

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