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Jun 9, 2010

Low-speed Vehicles and Minitrucks * USA - Shouldn't share busy public roads with regular traffic

Arlington,VA,USA -Insurance Institute for Highway Safety -May 20, 2010: -- More states are allowing a relatively new breed of vehicle on public roads, but crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show why the mix of low-speed vehicles (LSVs) or minitrucks and regular traffic is a deadly combination... The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines appropriate performance and safety standards but has no say in where LSVs are driven... NHTSA doesn't require LSVs to have airbags or other safety features beyond belts since they're intended for low-risk driving. Most minitrucks in the United States are used right-hand-drive vehicles imported from Japan, where they can operate on roads as long as they pass inspection every 2 years...

Vehicles that fail often end up exported to North America. Also known as Kei-class vehicles, minitrucks are smaller than conventional pickups and weigh about 1,500 pounds. They must be imported with governors to limit speeds to 25 mph or less to be exempt from Clean Air Act provisions but can go much faster... (Photo Crash tests demonstrate risks: To show that LSVs and minitrucks are no match for even the smallest of regular cars and pickups, Institute researchers tested two GEM e2 electric vehicles and a Changan Tiger Star minitruck... The test dummies in the GEMs and the Tiger recorded indications of seriously debilitating or fatal injury to drivers in real-world crashes)

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Jun 26, 2009

Electric Cars (& Vans) * France - Renault/Nissan Eyes Fleet Market for

It appears 2009 is shaping up to be the year of the fleet

Paris,France -earth2teech, by Josie Garthwaite (San Francisco,CAL,USA) -25 June 2009: ... The Renault-Nissan Alliance, which has set a goal of leading the global electric vehicle market, said today that it has struck two new deals to accelerate deployment of upcoming plug-in vehicles in corporate fleets. BNP subsidiary Arval has agreed to develop leasing plans specifically for electric cars in an effort to speed their adoption, and fleet giant ALD Automotive has signed on to support introduction of Renault’s electric cars into European corporate fleets from 2011 onward... Renault-Nissan’s move is just the latest in a slew of deals for the alliance as it works to build a market and infrastructure for its upcoming electric vehicles. But it also represents the latest fleet play — one of the biggest for plug-in vehicles, given the reach of the companies involved (Arval and ALD’s fleets include a total of more than 1.4 million vehicles internationally) at a time when the business of fleet supply and management is attracting innovators from across the green transportation sector. As consumer vehicle sales slump and automakers look to test out their inaugural electric models in controlled settings, fleets offer a good match... (Photo: “Kangoo be bop Z.E.” prototype photo credit Renault)

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Jan 24, 2009

ELECTRIC TRUCK * USA - ZAP to Introduce Electric Van and Truck

At Nation's
Largest Auto Dealer Expo January 24

Santa Rosa,Cal,USA -CNNMoney.com -January 23, 2009: -- To help automotive fleets reduce emissions and operating expenses, electric car pioneer ZAP will debut a five-passenger, 4-wheel, 100 percent, plug-in electric van at the National Automobile Dealers Association annual conference and exposition, booth number 4763, January 24-27, 2009 in New Orleans... ZAP's new Shuttle was designed for passenger transport or cargo. The seats are removable so it can convert into a cargo vehicle with 108 cubic feet and a 900 lb. total carrying capacity... Large slider doors on both sides and a rear lift hatch provide convenient access to the rear compartment, which is weatherproof and secure. At 138 inches, its length is just shy of most mini-vans and at 6 ft 2 inches it has plenty of headroom. The ZAP Shuttle was designed for transportation around large campuses, to and from parking lots, and, because it produces zero emissions, through factories, warehouses and other indoor uses... Air conditioning, solar panels and a rapid charger are available options. MSRP: $14,700...

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Oct 2, 2008

ELECTRIC TRUCKS MAKER * USA - ZAP Expands Workforce to Meet Record Demand for Electric Vehicles

Santa Rosa,CAL,USA -Market Watch - Oct 01, 2008: -- As a result of an increase in demand for electric cars and other forms of plug-in transportation, alternative energy pioneer ZAP has increased its workforce by almost 30 percent since the beginning of the year... Said CEO Steve Schneider, that ZAP is launching new electric vehicles this quarter... In August, ZAP set an unaudited sales record of $737,000 -- an 88 percent increase over the same period last year. ZAP says the increase was primarily due to demand for its Xebra sedans and trucks... While job experts claim careers in alternative energy are one of our economy's bright spots, Schneider said there is a shortage of qualified electric car engineers, salesmen, and international business experts...


* Bill adds plug-in tax breaks

Washington,DC,USA -The Detroit News, by David Shepardson -October 2, 2008: -- Congressional leaders have added $1 billion in tax breaks for plug-in electric vehicles to a $700 billion Wall Street bailout bill... The provision is one of a number of tax proposals added to the 451-page bill that passed the Senate 74-25 Wednesday night... The rescue package would grant the U.S. Treasury wide authority to buy distressed mortgage-backed securities and other troubled financial instruments, including car loans and student loans. It includes $150 billion in tax breaks for individuals and businesses... The provision would grant all-electric vehicles or plug-in models with at least a four-kilowatt battery pack a $4,168 credit. A vehicle like the extended range Chevrolet Volt with a 16-kwh battery would qualify for the maximum $7,500 credit for vehicles under 10,000 pounds...

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Dec 7, 2007

* Electric cars from China

Dealership plugs in to Route 1
Salisbury,MA,USA -The Daily News of Newburyport (Newburyport,MA), By Angeljean Chiaramida -December 05, 2007: -- They go about 40 mph, cost 3 cents per mile to operate and are cute as a button - and not much bigger than one... Tiny, three-wheel ZAP trucks will soon be sold in Salisbury, which will host the first dealership on the East Coast of the ZAP electric/solar-powered vehicles, which are made in China...Solar Edison, a new renewable energy company owned by Topsfield's Don Stokes that is working to bring solar energy to the masses, will display the vehicles... The first ZAP - Zero Air Pollution - vehicle to make its way here will be a truck, the Xebra Xero PK, said Steve Bardaro, a Salisbury resident who will serve as the dealership manager... (ZAP Truck Xebra PK)

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