Where design and sustainability cross paths

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Get Your Electric Transport For $32,500

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ZAP is a leading distributor of efficient, alternative energy vehicles for the US market. They’ve established over 20 licensed dealers and have plans to expand their distribution significantly in coming years. The XEBRA was introduced in 2006 and retails for under $10,000. The car will reach an excess speed of 40 miles per hour. The company has a Chinese manufacturing partner that has the capacity to make about 1,000 vehicles every month. Zap is working to get all required federal and state regulations approved in the United States. In addition to making vehicles that run on electricity, they are working to release another alternative energy vehicle called the OBVIO, designed to run on ethanol, gasoline or both. Last May of 2007, ZAP worked on a feasibility study with Lotus Engineering, the very well known OEM company that has a stellar history of designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing their own products in the trans industry. According to Lotus, the study is a “comprehensive research project into the creation of a new generation of ultra-efficient electric automobiles from concept to production.”



Zap’s newest model is called the Alias and for the price of $5000 you can make your reservation for one today. The total cost? Right now the MSRP is in the range of $32,500. The vehicle has front wheel drive with motors in the wheels. Its peak Horsepower is slated to be 321.85 (240 kW), it can do 0–60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds while having the potential to travel at a maximum speed of 156mph. The electric vehicle is scheduled for release and delivery in 2009. It is estimated that the range it can travel without needing a charge will be over 100 miles.

For more information visit zapworld.com.

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Segway Shows Their Green Side

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For consumers who bought a Segway PT in 2007, Segway is offering to purchase renewable energy credits on their behalf to replace the electricity used in one year when charging the vehicle. For very frequent users they estimate the usage to be around 200 kilowatt hours (kWh). The credits are advertised to be supporting renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal power.

“As a leader in two-wheeled electric mobility, it’s always been Segway’s vision to produce environmentally friendly short-distance transportation alternatives. Today, more and more people are using the Segway PT as an eco-friendly alternative for many of the short journeys that are typically made by car. In fact, The EPA estimates that Americans take 900 million car journeys every day, but did you know that half of these trips are less than five miles long and are by solo drivers?”

We could not find any immediate information about recycled content used to make the product or buyback programs for recycling. There was also no information available about the batteries or PVC content used for wire coating material or other parts in the device. All this aside though, politically, getting the device to the public has been nothing short of a challenge for Dean Kamen. In the UK, Segways have been banned on both the streets and sidewalks. The British Department of Transport has invoked the Highway Act of 1835, keeping this efficient and clean mode of transport off of the streets. It’s now limited for use only on private property in Great Britain.