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My ZAP
Paradigm Shift
Reasons
for an electric car
I think that for at least the
immediate* future, electricity is the fuel
of the future. Everything is already in place: production, grids, governmental
regulation as to costs, and availability. There are a number of possible
alternate energy sources, but I believe that electricity is the alternate fuel
of the present. That is not to say that there will be not be another energy
source that will be better in the near future. In the short term, with
electricity to power our transportation, our world can tap into renewable
resources like hydroelectric, solar, wind, or geothermal power; resources that
reduce our environmental footprint. Hydrogen is the optimal, but its useful
technolgy is still non-affordable for the mainstream public. Furthermore,
studies show that millions of electric vehicles can recharge at night using
existing surplus electrical generation; a vast, virtually untapped resource.
Gasoline is a precious natural resource and vital to
the world economy. Electrical vehicles use no gasoline and require no oil
changes. Also, since they have less moving parts, I have to think that there
will be less maintenance issues to deal with. Using less fossil fuel can help
relieve our current energy shortages while ensuring that future generations can
rely on the same inexpensive, useful, petroleum products that we all take for
granted.
Gas keeps getting more expensive. The typical electric
car costs two to three cents per mile versus ten to thirty cents per mile with
gas. Electric motors have fewer moving parts, meaning fewer trips to the
mechanic. But, that cost does not factor in the cost of replacing of the
batteries now in use in electrical vehicles. Battery technology is
expensive. Any new technology is expensive until it is mass produced. My entry
level ZAP (Zero Air Pollution) Xebra PK is just that, entry level. But, I feel that by supporting these
new cars it will encourage electric car companies to see there is a portion of
the buying public that is not willing to put up with what Detroit thinks we need and supports our egos. I believe that our egos are motivated and fed by what we see on TV and car ads.
Today, the majority of USA 's foreign trade deficit is attributed to imported oil. Using an
electric vehicle will reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Furthermore, by
investing in advanced transportation technologies, the USA can take the technological lead in offering energy efficient
products that emerging economies around the world can use to build their own
transportation infrastructures.
Evidence is mounting that carbon emissions are contributing
to ozone depletion, climate change, and global warming. Electric vehicles can reduce
CO2 emissions by more than 90 percent compared to internal combustion vehicles,
even counting the emissions from fossil fueled power plants. We in the
Northwest benefit from the use of hydroelectric to generate some of our
electricity. The USA constitutes less than 10 percent of the world's population, but
is responsible for almost 30 percent of the world's CO2 emissions. So, electric
vehicles still must bear the responsibility for some of these emissions as
electrical production still produces those emissions. But, it is a step in the
right direction.
Reducing fossil fuel consumption relieves pressure on
our natural resources. It eliminates the need to explore for oil in environmentally
sensitive habitats. Less automotive emissions means less toxic pollutants in
our air, water, and soil. Less oil consumption reduces the risk of oil spills
which can safeguard sensitive coastal regions and wildlife for future
generations to enjoy.
By using an alternative energy vehicle, I
make a statement about my values and show my own social responsibility. All too
often I feel helpless, feeling the world's problems are too big for just one
person to solve on my own. However, as a consumer, I have the ultimate power in
the products I purchase and in the vehicles I drive.
What will happen if the world continues in this same
direction? No one really knows. Of course, none of us may be around when or if
the world runs out of oil, the polar icecaps melt, or the world is covered in
another ice age. Perhaps it will be a technological paradise like many of us
hope, but how can we control what sort of world our children and our
grandchildren will inherit? It is up to me in a small measure.
Now to answer the question that popped
into your mind when you first saw this vehicle. The "dorky" factor. Yes, it
does look dorky, but I believe that the VW Bug was at first met with these same judgments. I believe that
I must be open to a new paradigm in my perceptions of the future. Americans are
tied to oversize cars that are sold to us by the car manufacturers as
these are the cars that we need. Of course, to power these cars with all the embellishments there
is a trade-off in reduced efficiency. I say if we go with gas let's start over
again with the Model T; at least it got 25 MPG. Or maybe bring back what Henry Ford first started with, cars powered by batteries. That's not to say that we should use over 100 year old lead acid technology, but rather persue a new battery technology such as lithium-ion. Car manufacturers say that 35
MPG by 2011 is holding them to too high of a standard. OK then, move over and
don't get in the way of an electric vehicle company that does see a way to get
135 MPG gas equivalent. Furthermore, I don't think that they should stand in
the way of progress or downplay proven success to protect their own interests.
To be fair, * U.S.** regulations require any
vehicle that can travel over 25 mph must have airbags, crumple zones, and 5
miles bumpers. Any car that can not meet these requirements can not be used on
public roads and are considered low speed electric vehicles (NEV-Neighborhood
Electric Vehicles). The ZAP Xebra gets
around this by it needing to be registered as a three-wheeled motorcycle.
Hence, circumventing these requirements.*
The same thing goes for the oil industry;
if there is still 100 billion dollars of crude oil still in the ground the oil
companies stand to make a lot of money for a long time, and so, why would they
want to see an electric vehicle become a viable alternative? The hybrids that
are on the market now, are, I feel, only token gestures to pacify the real
needs of people that want to see fuel efficiency go up. Trade-offs, that is what life and choices are all about. The
question is for me, "What am I willing to give up in exchange for my social
conscious be salved." Or, am I content with the idea that, "I have mine, but
you can't have the opportunity to have yours." I think that I am more
interested in the function of my transportation rather than any identity that I
would try to convey with the image of whatever vehicle that I wrap around
myself. After all, aren 't vehicles an alter ego of what I want to have others perceive
of me? In effect, form over function.
I look at Europe with a somewhat
fuzzy crystal ball as to the future of cars and alternate fuels. They have dealt
with crowded cities and high fuel costs for many years. What do they do? Mass
transit, smaller cars, and more efficient cars. I think that we need a new
paradigm shift or soon the price of fuel will dictate even more of our choices
in life. What is your 'tipping point,' or price? Mine was gas reaching $3.00 per gallon. That is when I made my choice. I still have my full-size 4X4 pickup that I drive once a week. No, my electric car does not work for all my driving...only about 90%. Whenever we need to make a trip we take my wife's car. So far I've had it about 1-1/2 years and have driven it 3,000 miles. My electrical cost has been about $90.
While many of these ideas have come from
the ZAP website, I don't believe that the ZAP will be the one to sell what most
Americans want. But, as the price of driving goes up, these small cars may not be
quite so odd.
No, I'm not a dealer or have any vested interest in any electric car companies, just a belief that we can do better for the future.
Jim Hooper
For further information and perspective:
www.evworld.com www.zapworld.com www.gpev.us www.aptera.com{color }
www.tesla.com
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