Would you buy this electric car?

Question

"ZAP says that the initial concept phase for the new vehicle is complete. The targeted price is $30,000, top speed in excess of 100 mph and range of 100 miles per charge. Many of the technologies already specified for the ZAP-X electric car concept will be applied to the new vehicle, but delivery is expected to be sooner than the ZAP-X."

What do you think - is 100 mile range and 100 mph top speed in an electric car worth $30,000?

One other thing to note - the ZAP-X is supposed to have battery technology that will recharge in 10 minutes, so I presume this earlier model will be able to do the same.

Source: http://www.zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=5070

The charging cost of electric cars like this is less than 2 cents per mile. A car that gets 30mpg with gasoline at $3/gallon will cost 10 cents per mile to refuel, or 5 times as much. Even a Prius costs 6 cents per mile (3 times as much) to refuel with gas at $3/gallon, and gas prices will likely average higher than that.

100 miles per charge is based on average driving.

Also, I have seen "Who Killed the Electric Car?".

Answer 1

I love the car itself but not to many people can afford to payout 30000 for a vehicle with limited distance . What if your out somewhere and run out of juice and there's no plugs around . Its easy to lug a can of gas to your car how would you carry electricity to it . Electric cars are great for the environment but suck in mileage. I f i had 30000 to blow on a fun car just to show off i would get it but the way my finances are i wouldn't even consider it . We need something that everyone can afford with unlimited distance . Something that we can convert what we are already driving

Answer 2

I never buy a car in its first year of production, I want to know that the technology works before I commit to it. And I think $30,000 is optimistically low. It surely CAN'T include a charging station for that price. And top speed and top mileage range DON'T occur at the same time. You get a 100 mile range OR 100mph, not both. This is not a highway car.

At best it is still just an upscale city car, no real improvement in technology, just a pretty face. It's not as impressive as it looks.

But it is a very cool looking car for an electric. Looks like the new Volvo.

In the meantime, until there is an infrastucture and commercially viable alternative fuel products, I'll stick to riding my bike or the rails and renting a car only when doing a lot of errands at once or travelling out of town. Believe me, the money you save just on car insurance by using your gold or platinum card for the rental makes it worth not owning a car. Electric or otherwise.

I am "getting into" recumbent, electric assisted velocycles. (when they get a little higher tech but cheaper price, i.e. when I can afford one and get one with a built in MP3 player!) [see link]

It would be nice to have a bike and a roof over my head at the same time ;-)

It's fun to think about how people are going to modify these to go faster, corner quicker. Mini pedal powered F1 cars for grown-ups *lol*

Answer 3

It really depends what kind of speed you're getting out of it to get that quoted 100 mile range. Air resistance increases as speed increases, and if it's slippery so much the better, but at 100mph you're still fighting a lot of air.

If it can get that 100MPH range while averaging about 60mph, then i'll go for it. I live a good ways from work and need the range to get there and back.

You can't keep a spare can of electricity in the trunk.

Hopefully people will buy it, and there will be money flow generated to spur more research. As big a car guy as i am, we need to stop using non-renewable energy sources.

Makes you wish Oil had never existed in the first place.

Answer 4

Before going any further I would like to know where all the extra electricity to power these things is going to come from. Whatever you believe about AGW of which option for power is best/worst we are facing - at least here in the UK - a serious shortfall in production as our coal/gas/nuclear stations are being phased out. Take that with an increasing population and it seems to me that somewhere along the line an essential calculation is missing. However, assuming the magic wand arrives from ebay on time, I would buy one IF the price comes down to just below utterly unaffordable, IF I can get the sort of mileage out of it that I need travelling the long distances I have to for my job, and IF just as soon as I switch the government doesn't make the cost of that form of motoring as bloody expensive as petrol/diesel is now, and IF I can find one large enough to accommodate the musical instruments which I need for my job. I somehow can't help thinking that an estate version will be considered anathema to the 'green' cause.

Answer 5

Personally, I doubt the 1 cent per mile claim.

Gas to Electricity on a energy to energy basis makes electricity (at 0.0925dollars per KWhr, the rate at my house) is over $3.00 per gallon of gas equivalent. The average car is a bit below 50% efficient. So assuming you had an equivalent size car, and that the electric car is 100% efficient, you can't get below $1.50 per gallon equivalent. So if I drive a similarly sized car in the same manner, I get down to 5 cents per gallon.

Maybe I'm stupid, but the years of thermodynamics tells me the only way you get to 1 cent per gallon is to use the electricity rates of South Dakota--where you wouldn't want to use this car--or you give up a ton of performance, comfort, and flexibility (space). And if you electric rates are higher than mine, it's an even worse buy.

Besides $30,000 for a sub-compact?

Answer 6

Would need to see: Maintenance Cost, Charging cost, and how comfortable it was. Sounds like it may be good for city driving only. May not be cost effective when I can buy a new little gasoline / diesel car for $11,000-$13,000 that gets 40 MPG.

Don't forget your basic Physics laws and economics. You can't create energy from nothing and you must account for all costs. The charging is coming from a power plant that is probably only about 30% eefficient at converting the energy to electrical. Batteries normally last only a few years and are very expensive.

Answer 7

like the first answer... you need to see "who killed the electric car?"

makes me think of the time when someone came up with and idea of a battery charged portable phone, that you would need to charge nearly every day... and people said that would never happen.

Answer 8

I can't afford $30 000 for any car.

But I would get a second hand one when they became available.
In fact I can't wait.

Answer 9

"Who killed the electric car." Interesting documentary.

Answer 10

I would rather have the GM Volt!