Tiny ZENN Ambassador

November 26, 2007 at 5:53 am | Posted in Climate Change, green design, Sustainability | Leave a comment
Tags: electric cars

Driving a ZENN attracts almost as many people as my little dog, Mocha. When she is riding shotgun with me, you should see the crowds that appear!

Whenever I stop at a light or stop sign, or Park my Motor Where My Mouth Is (that is, curbside), people come up and remark about my car. They walk all around, peer into the windows, remark on how tiny and cute it is, stop and read the sticker–which I deliberately leave up so people will know how much the car costs and what extras I put in, and laugh about the 245 mpg.

If they see me in the car, or getting out or coming back to it, they can’t wait to chat me up.

Typical questions that people ask me:

How do you charge it up? Plug it into my house electrical outlet.

How far can you go? 30 to 35 miles depending on how you drive and the terrain.

How long does it take to charge? 4 hours to charge 80% of the battery capacity.

Can you go on the freeway? No, the ZENN is in the category called LSV or Low Speed Vehicle, aka NEV or Neighborhood Electric Vehicle. I call it my electric city car.

Are there airbags? No, because it is not a freeway legal car, it doesn’t require airbags, just like a scooter or bicycle doesn’t have airbags.

I have little kids. Can I put a carseat in it? Yes, you are allowed to put a carseat in the passenger seat.

Can I get a four-seater? Unfortunately, the ZENN car is a two-seater. My dealer drives and sells a four-seater manufactured by Dynasty.

How much does it cost? The base price is $12750. I paid extra to get higher capacity batteries and removable JVC AM/FM radio-CD player.

How much can you carry? There’s 13 cubic feet of cargo space behind the 2 seats. For my work I sometimes have to haul large flip charts and boxes of supplies. Mocha and Sammy often ride in the back. My neighbor and I have hauled bags of soil and lots of plants in the back–she is quite tall and was able to sit comfortably.

Feel free to post questions to my blog and I’ll answer them in future posts.

Here’s hoping all your dreams are green.

-Barbara