Automotive Cars | Popular Science

Like all other car manufacturing companies, ZAP is a well known electric vehicle company that designs, crafts and markets vehicles counting motorcycles, automobiles, scooters, bicycles, personal watercraft, ATVs, neighborhood electric vehicles, hovercraft and commercial vehicles. ZAP stands for Zero Air Pollution and the company headquarters is located in California.

The company has a line of electric cars to its credit and some of them are ZAPVAN Shuttle and ZAPTRUCK XL which are the two vehicles of slow speed for fleet market, but the Sedan and ZAP Xebra Truck are electric power motor system for bicycles, ATV and electric scooters.

ZAP Xebra

This is a full-electric car with three wheels for the city and has a capability of 40mph and needs a 110 volt channel.
The car is available in sedan and also as a pick up model truck variants
It has fantastic seat belts, and does not have a regenerative braking.
The pickup version has a dump bed with folding sides and a tailgate which allows you easy access to the batteries, motor, controller and the charger. This model was phased out in 2009.
The sedan version carries four people.
The stated cargo weight for both the pickup and the sedan is 1000lb.
An optional roof-top solar power has been offered for trickle solar charging, which makes the batteries more durable.
Has an all steel body sedan

ZAP Dude

This is a four wheel all-terrain motor vehicle designed for maintenance and patrol functions which will be able to go to 25mph
It goes up to 25 miles with a DC motor of 48 volt power permanent-magnet rush
It has a regular lead acid battery of 65 amp hour AGM
It charges in 5 – 6 hours with 4KW continuous power
Lithium battery advanced technology
This car is the least expensive of vehicles from the company

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Many people are using DIY electric car kits to do the conversion of their cars from gas to electric powered. These kits have become quite popular nowadays because of economic and environmental reasons. Oil prices are continuing to increase and the effects of global warming are beginning to be felt all over the world. The recent global economic meltdown has also pushed many people to look for ways to save money.

Studies show that people who own these cars are reaping the benefits. These benefits include excellent top speeds, savings both on time and money, and a quiet drive. The electric motor is not noisy compared with gas engines and during long drives; you do not have to stop at gas stations to refuel anymore. Another great thing about electric cars is that by owning one, you are doing your part in saving the environment. These cars are clean because they do not have emissions.

The instructions on DIY car kits are easy to understand and follow. However, you will still need to have some mechanical skills to be able to understand which part to remove from your gas powered car. If your skills are limited to driving and do not extend to the inside of your car, then it would be advisable to ask help from relatives or friends who know more about cars. Still, if you have no confidence in DIY kits, you can always buy premade electric car kits. All you need to do is install it and you are good to go. You can buy such kits from Canadian Electric Vehicles and many more.

There are two different kinds of electric car kits, namely universal and custom kits. The universal kit is made for small cars and trucks. The custom kit, on the other hand, was made specifically for certain types of vehicles. For example, a custom car kit built for a Ford cannot be used on a Nissan or any other brand of car. These kits are tailored specifically for the requirements of that specific car.

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