Zenn and the art of electric-car maintenance

(Credit: Zenn Motor)

Is it possible to achieve dharma at 25 mph?

The Zenn (which stands for Zero Emission, No Noise), available since February from Feel Good Cars subsidiary Zenn Motor, can be purchased from 33 dealerships throughout 20 U.S. states.

Surprised that you've never heard of the two-"n" Zenn? That may be because the company doesn't plan to have an official car-promoting launch until September 9, a company representative told CNET News.com last week.

Priced between $12,750 and $16,000, depending on options selected, the car offers a driving range of up to 35 miles per charge. And while the car can theoretically go faster, it tops out at 25 mph, in keeping with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations for this type of car.

Ironically, while the Zenn was developed by a publicly traded company based in Canada, it has not yet been approved for street-legal driving in Canadian provinces. But it's among one of the electric cars you can buy right now in the United States.

Of course, that's not the most interesting thing about this company.

In April 2007, Zenn Motor paid about $2.5 million for a 3.8 percent share in EEstor, a company that claims to be developing a revolutionary technology that will offer a much longer charge range than those of prevalent chemical batteries. It remains to be seen whether future versions of the Zenn will have this "super battery."

While Zenn cars may have a special power source from EEStor, its current three-door hatchback model offers a battery that can become 80 percent recharged in 4 hours, or fully recharged in 8 hours, from any standard 120-volt outlet.

And for our left-loving neighbors in the United Kingdom, Japan and elsewhere, Zenn Motor posts in its specs that it is also offering a right-side drive option.

[billmosby]

Average speed

So if the car stands still for 8 hours while being charged and then is
driven 35 miles at 25 mph, its average speed is a bit over than 3.7
mph. On a good day, I can walk that fast. Although not for 35
miles. So it's still a bit of an improvement over walking. Higher
cargo capacity, too, I'll bet.

[Dalkorian]

think different ;)

I see this as more of a local commuter car, possibly for driving
to the corner store or for making short drives to work. In the
case of work, you're stuck there for 8 hours anyway (barring
emergencies of course). In the case of the corner store,
hopefully that store isn't more than a dozen miles away (more
likely to be a mile or less).

It's a nice idea. I'm not saying it's going to be popular by any
means, as some people commute more than 30 miles to work
and obviously it can't handle freeway speeds (or any speed
outside business and school districts). But I think it has a niche.

[bradleydad]

Speed limit

No need to make fun of the slow top speed. It is federal regulations which limit this and other electric cars to 25MPH. Gee, do ya think W and his petro dollar interests could have anything to do with keeping a good thing down?

[bearsrep]

Actually, the ZENN car's top speed is 35 mph--I know, since I have been driving one for the past 8 months, through my apartment complex. (I guess, since it is built in Canada, W didn't have any control over it.) It is meant to be an economical car for local travel, and it's very basic--definitely bare-bones as far as comfort goes. It responds immediately when you step on the pedal, but does slow on any significant hill. It's range is supposed to be 40 miles on a charge, so the 35-37 range is probably realistic--I've never tested the limit. There is a fair amount of cargo space, but it is awkward trying to load it, since there's not enough space behind the seats for easy access; I usually put everything in through the hatchback and push and pull it forward into that space. The biggest problem is that there are very few dealers, making it hard--and slow--to get repairs done. I'd call it a good first effort, and better than walking--but lots of room for improvement. I live in Seattle, which is one of the cities working with various agencies to develop an electric car that can compete with the gas models. There was a show recently of various types of electric cars and many looked much more usable than the ZENN car, with top speeds of 80 mph and range up to 400 miles on a charge. So, keep watching.

[crossedworld]

The Zenn is not really practical for where I live. The main road at the front of my neighborhood has a 45 mph speed limit. If I lived in the city, I would consider owning one. I think the cityZenn will be more along the lines of what I am looking for. For me, the viability of electric cars all hinges on Eestor. If Eestor is actually legitamite, then my view towards electric cars would change dramatically. There is a cool Squidoo Lens on the Zenn car at http://www.squidoo.com/TheZennCar

[ARCB]

We have owned a Zenn since June 08, in Des Moines, IA. It is a great car for the in town shopping, we average about 35-37 miles per charge after it was broken in. We recently drove it in a bit of snow. It handled well with a bag of sand in the back. Our regular car is a 02 Ford Focus station wagon and the last time I filled the tank was back in early September. You can buy a portable heater from buggies unlimited that works great and reuns on propane so you won't take any charge from your car. When the snow gets too deep we will go back to our regular car. The Equivalent fuel savings would be at 2 Cents a gallon for us. Most city streets are posted for 30-40 MPH anyhow. (No tickets from the police)