Can Americans be Sold on Electric Cars?

Washington DC May 18, 2007; The AIADA newsletter reported that automaker ZAP (as in zero air pollution) believes it has the formula in its tiny Xebra cars made in China: Plug it in at home and go up to 40 miles per hour for up to 25 miles.

"The key is to keep the car simple," ZAP CEO Steve Schneider told Reuters, noting that a single-wheel front end is a crucial part of containing costs.

Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal, noted that electric cars are ideal if are "living in a retirement community or if you are doing all your travel in a downtown area where the speed limits are appropriate."

Those limitations are why electric car enthusiasts are placing their mass-market bets on GM's Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in electric car with a small combustion "range extender" engine.

The Volt will have a 40-mile range between charges, which covers most commutes in the U.S., according to Sherry Boschert, author of the book Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America.

"I love all-electric cars and I actually think they are much better in a lot of ways," said Boschert. "But I think most Americans who are unfamiliar with driving on electricity will be more comfortable starting out with a plug-in hybrid."