The market for electric cars has expanded beyond major cities like San Francisco and New York City in the early 21st century. ZAP Cars is helping promote the democratization of electric cars by allowing consumers to test drive their models through regional dealerships. ZAP’s Xebra sedans and trucks give drivers a glimpse of the early stages of electric car development.
The Xebra sedan and Xebra truck share similar characteristics. Both vehicles reach a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour when fully charged. Each Xebra can travel up to 25 miles on a single charge. The speed and distance limitations of the Xebra line make these vehicles destined for local use. The sedans can hold two people while the truck has a small flatbed for storage purposes. ZAP has developed this early line to fit into motorcycle classifications with lightweight materials and three wheels reducing the amount of electricity needed for propulsion.
ZAP offers both vehicles for under $12,000 through authorized dealerships. The company claims that most dealerships have long waiting lists due to increased demand for vehicles using alternative fuels. This claim has led to $100 deposits as a standard feature of customer transactions with ZAP to protect their spot in these waiting lists. ZAP states that their cars and trucks run at a cost of two cents per mile compared to the expense of gasoline and maintenance for traditional vehicles. This selling point is less important than the practicality of electric vehicles, an argument used by critics to decry cars running on alternative fuels. ZAP Cars seems to have taken the next step toward quieting these criticisms.
Interested and curious parties can arrange for a test drive by signing up through ZAP’s website. The company does not provide much information on its website regarding dealership locations. The limitations of a commercial electric infrastructure designed for cars like the Xebra means that consumers in Montana, Mississippi and dozens of other states may not get a test drive. This issue of electric infrastructure creates the larger problem of interested parties driving gas cars hundreds of miles to try out an electric car.
