An innovative electric car from transportation pioneer ZAP is now being used by a mother of two for shuttling kids and meeting clients in downtown London.
Amy Leiper is the first Londoner to import the four-door ZAP Xebra electric city car in 2007. ZAP has received many inquiries for the new vehicles from UK car-buyers and distributors because ZAP has some of the only four-dour electric cars on the market as well as one of the most cost-effective electric trucks on the market.
ZAP calls the Xebra an electric 'city-car,' an innovative design for city-speed driving up to 64 KPH (40 MPH). The Xebra was designed for urban commuters, multi-car families, or as a petrol-free auxiliary vehicle for government or business fleets. Made in China, the car costs a little over £5,000. It recharges at a normal household outlet and, if plugged in once or twice a day, can handle nearly all city driving.
Leiper bought the car when she was pregnant with her second child. She said: "I wanted to make a difference to my carbon footprint. Electric cars are one of the best ways of doing this. With zero emission and using a renewable resource to operate, this is one of the best ways of getting around without killing the environment. With two kids, I also needed a four door. I was determined never to be one of those mums who drives around with their kids in a Chelsea tractor – you just don't need a vehicle like that in London. I wanted a four door car that had zip and could travel the distances I need in a day. The Xebra ticked all the boxes."
Appropriately, Leiper purchased a kiwi green XEBRA and went to great expense to have the car shipped from California where ZAP is headquartered.
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If a similar car with four doors would have been available in the UK at the time, I would have bought one, but there wasn't. I still haven’t seen one actually on the road, though I’ve heard a lot of noise about them." said Leiper.
ZAP has deliver over 100,000 vehicles to consumers in more than 75 countries. At the forefront of fuel-efficient transportation with new technologies including energy efficient petrol systems, hydrogen, electric, fuel cell, ethanol, hybrid and other innovative power systems, ZAP has a joint venture called Detroit Electric to manufacture electric and hybrid vehicles.
