The All-Electric Zap-X SUV: Too Good to be True?

Question

Wow! 350 miles on a 10 minutes recharge! Is this true or hype?
http://www.autoneato.com/the-all-electric-zap-x-suv-too-good-to-be-true/

Answer 1

The discharge capacity of a Lithium Manganese battery (close to the best in lithium) is about 20 c. This means the maximum current it can accept or put out is 20 times its capacity. The 10 minute charge sounds quite dubious to me.

If you visit zapworld you will find that this company is mostly in the business of importing.

http://www.zapworld.com/

If you do some research on the Lotus APX (basis of design) you will find that this is a concept car.(not in production)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_APX

http://www.cars.com/go/features/autoshows/vehicle.jsp?autoshow=&vehicletype=concept&autoshowyear=2006&vehicle=concept_lotus_apx

I would be far more charitable about claims made if there was something tangable to back them up. There is plenty of room for "poetic licence" on a drawing board.

AT this point in time I will believe it, when the independant reviews come in. (Tesla's roadster has been road tested and stands up to the scutiny.)

p.s. A little more on that battery. A battery to last 350 miles would need to be conservatively 60 kwh. To charge in ten minutes would need to draw 360 KW plus losses. At 120 volts that is 3000 amps (ignoring losses).

I'm guessing this would dim most peoples lights a bit.

Answer 2

ZAP is a good company - I actually own some of their stock mainly based on the promise of the ZAP-X Crossover. The only claim they make about which I'm skeptical is that 10 minute recharge, because otherwise it's not much different from the Tesla Roadster (except cheaper), which is already on the road.

http://www.teslamotors.com/index.php

Unfortunately they don't detail how they're going to achieve that 10 minute recharge, so it's hard to tell how realistic it is. As mentioned in your linked article, I'm not sure how they could get a power source to deliver such a rapid recharge. I suppose one could be specially built. Perhaps it will have the option of a cheaper and slower recharge unit or a more expensive rapid charge unit.

Since Lotus has delivered on the Roadster and ZAP delivered on its promises for the Xebra

http://zapworld.com/ZAPWorld.aspx?id=188

As well as many other electric vehicles and products, both companies appear to be trustworthy. I have high hopes for the ZAP-X!

By the way, a bit before the Crossover comes out, they're planning on producing a similar model which will go 100 miles/charge and up to 100+ mph for half the price ($30,000). I think the affordability of this car (not a much higher initial cost than a Prius) will really start to make electric vehicles take off.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070622/aqf032.html?.v=9

Answer 3

heres' a cut and paste from your link:

"Wow! 350 miles on a 10 minutes recharge! You will need a pretty strong electric source for this one if this is indeed true. But even if this vehicle needs a restructuring of our existing infrastructures, if this indeed is true, then the internal combustion engine is dead."

Now, where does the electricity for the recharge come from?

Answer 4

the technology is out there
http://www.altairnano.com/markets.html
http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/

Zap havn't said who their battery is from; but it is likely to exist, else Lotus wouldn't be keen to have their name on it - and it was mentioned on their web site a while back

the 10 minute recharge has been demonstrated to the california authorities as part of their categorisation system for evs. There is some doubt that public recharge points coiuld deliver the current, but it could be rolled out easier than a hydrogen distribution network.

Answer 5

350 miles at what, 35mph?

Answer 6

THE ONLY ONE I KNOW THAT WORKS IS THE FORD. IT HAS STYLING AND ALL AND GETS AROUND 20.5 CTY.AND 30.1 HWY.THIS SHOCKED US .THERE HYBERT IS TOPS..TRY IT YOU WILL LOVE IT..THOSE STICKERS IN THE WINDOW ARE EST.

Answer 7

So far it's nothing but hype.