Electric Vehicle Forums - Hands On With the $16K Zenn Electric Car

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Hands On With the $16K Zenn Electric Car

Quote:

Know how special the Zenn electric car is? Here in New York, a cabdriver let me cut him off - actually waved me ahead.

That would never happen in a normal vehicle. I was behind the wheel of a tiny, electric blue, $16,000 electric Zenn intended for low-speed city use with "ELECTRIC" stenciled on the side. Zenn has the potential to change how you think about cars. My first drive was impressive. However, it helps if you don't feel the need to by surrounded by vault-like doors, rich leather trim, and 10-speaker audio systems.

Zenn is a low-speed city car that runs on six 12-volt batteries today and possibly, in 2009, a new energy storage system based on capacitors. Zenn owes its existence to a careful reading of federal safety laws: If you cap the top speed at 25 mph, you are exempted from crash-testing the vehicle and you can get by with shoulder belts and no airbags, the idea being: How much trouble can you get into in a 25 mph crash?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2284886,00.asp

Re: $16K Zenn Electric Car & 25mph crashes

Actually, I have a friend that owned (note the past tense) a Ford Probe that was in involved in a low speed (less that 25 mph) head on crash. Friend was bumped and bruised. Ford was totaled.

So, I would guess the question "How much trouble can you get into in a 25 mph crash?" as a basis for not requiring extra safety equipment is based on luck and not fact. That's the government for you!!

Paula

Re: Hands On With the $16K Zenn Electric Car

sounds like a golf cart licensed for the streets. Ok, there are safety belts. maybe even doors.

Re: Hands On With the $16K Zenn Electric Car

The Zenn is an actual, albeit small car with 3 doors (rear hatch), crank windows, a windshield wiper, and a stereo. 6 golf cart batteries. Speed governed to 25mph max. It looks like and feels like a 5/8 scale car, but drives like a golf cart. Not so good on hills. I don't know if it incorporates regenerative braking. My sister says she can run around 15 miles on a charge. She lives on a big hill. I mean, she uses it to make 15 mile trips up and down the hill on a charge. I don't know how far it will go before it runs out of juice.

Re: Hands On With the $16K Zenn Electric Car

I really wanted to test drive the xebra electric sedan:

http://www.zapworld.com/electric-veh...rs/xebra-sedan

I sent email and the closest dealer was North Carolina. This is the perfect second car for our 2 car family. We've got an 08 Prius for the daily 20 mile commute, and the other car is an HHC that gets driven about 6 miles a day to the store and gym. We really don't need that second hybrid so this little electric car would be perfect. And it goes to 40 mph so it can move along with the local traffic nicely.