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.

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

Answer 1

Electric cars currently range in price from $9,500 (used and small) to $92,000 and up. The operation and maintenance costs are miniscule.

Electric cars should definitely be produced. It's not a technological problem; there IS no problem! The range easily exceeds sixty miles per charge and can be greatly improved. I saw a documentary on TV that convinced me that electric vehicles are feasible and low-polluting (actually zero-polluting, but emissions are produced by the generation of power). I'm far from a conspiracy theorist, but it's clear to me that electric vehicle production is blocked by car companies and oil companies in favor of what they view as maximum profit. And it's a shame.

They're not really all that expensive, and the price would go way down if they were mass produced, but car companies resist.

See http://www.evuk.co.uk/

Answer 2

50% of the electricity produced in the United States comes from burning coal that is scraped off mountain tops and dug out of miles-deep holes in the ground.

The cra* that is left when the good stuff is separated out lays around in polluted pools, to be washed into streams when the poorly engineered containment dams leak or break, and leak into the ground water.

That electricity loses about 7.4% of it's power through voltage drop between the generating plant and the distribution point, plus what it loses from there to the point of use, plus the loss through the recharging system, reducing the effective efficiency of the process significantly.

By the time the electricity reaches an electric car's battery, there are a dozen or more internal combustion PZEVs (Partial Zero Emmission Vehicles) that have the same or lower carbon footprint, cost less, perform better across the range of typical driving tasks, have a longer range, and can be refueled in seconds.

If you are looking for conspiracy theories, you need look no farther than the coal/electrical/railroad lobby that prevents passage of legislation that would clean up mining, electric generating smoke-stack emissions, and environment-destroying practices by these industries.

Peabody was one of Bush's largest campaign contributors in the 2000 election, and Virginia's coal mining industry is credited (blamed?) for his carrying that state, the key factor in his election. He's the one who backed off the laws that had required generating plants to upgrade an entire plant's emissions controls if they added generating capacity.

Electric vehicles will someday become important for short-range commuting by people who can afford a second car for trips. For now, there are no electric cars that have demonstrated in independent tests that they meet the performance, range, and recharge-time claims made for them by manufacturers -- especially in climates where batteries are cold-soaked overnight or during the work day.

When they do, I will be among the cheerleaders urging everyone I know to get one. Meanwhile, I'm waiting.

Answer 3

I would never buy an electric car. 100 miles?! So you really can only go 50 miles if you want to be able to get back home. Lower that if you live in a congested area. Do yourself a favor and get a car. Even hybrids aren't even worth it. You end up paying more in the long run with a hybrid.

Answer 4

Have you seen a ZAP car? I sure as hell wouldn't want to go 100 mph in one.

Answer 5

when comes the time that i am not charging my car with electricity created by burning coal, YES.
Until a feasible solution to nuclear waste is found, it appears we are just substituting one problem for another, in reference to electrcity based transportation.
Hydrogen powered autos, are most likely right around the corner.

Answer 6

sounds good, they put a package where we can generate the power ourselves with an inverter and we've got a pollution free car system.

Answer 7

If I had $30k laying around ha ha

Answer 8

This sounds really good. My question is, "Where would you go recharge it?"