ZAP Alias and SUV Answer Korea Electric Vehicle Challenge

The Korea Electric Vehicle Challenge took place outside Seoul with ZAP and Samyang Optics entering two vehicles under development, the Alias electric car and the electric A380 SUV.

This was ZAP's first public demonstration of the Alias and SUV. ZAP's two 100 percent electric vehicles drove in a 200km/124.3mi route at average speeds of 85kph or 52.8mph as part of an EV Challenge representing the Korean electric vehicle industry.

The three-day event includes an Eco Fair where the ZAP vehicles are scheduled to appear in parades and in an exhibition of fuel efficient vehicles and other consumer products.

ZAP was hosted by Samyang Optics in their ongoing partnership to distribute electric vehicles in Korea. The Korean government has announced support and investment in electric vehicles over the next few years. Several government and business leaders spoke at the opening ceremony for the event, including Korean ministers, congressmen, representatives from the Korean Elecctric Vehicle Association, as well as Samyang CEO Christopher Kang and ZAP CEO Steve Schneider.

The electric SUV is based on a partnership between ZAP and auto manufacturer Zhejiang Jonway Automobile Co. Ltd. using the A380 5-door SUV targeting the China fleet market. The ZAP Alias electric car is entered in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize taking place this year. For more information visit http://zapalias.wordpress.com.

Thank you to ZAP CEO Steve Schneider for providing the video, ZAP EV Tech and Driver Aubre Decker, and Brad Moore of ZAP Marketing for producing the video.

Category:

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• jonway
• a380
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[Beowulfsonur]

Sweet looking ride.

[albupsiholog]

Bring it to Europe if the americans do not want the Alias.It is a cool car.Why is so hard to produce this car?

[pheenix42]

Thing is, we really need some kind of fast-charge power cell...the range of the Alias would make it a practical vehicle for longer trips if you could 'fill up' the electric storage in roughly the same time you refuel a gas powered vehicle.

But, that kind of energy density is still a few years away...I feel we could have been to that point had we started the research some 30 or so years ago.

[FormerlyFlightsuit]

@zapevfilms Well I hope the big, steamroller tire is at least an option when the Alias goes on sale, 'cause that thing looks so wicked!

[zapevfilms]

I doubt they will be using the mondo tire for the fuel efficiency portion of the #piaxp.

[freestylewalka]

1:04 :)

[FormerlyFlightsuit]

The challenge, of course, is that you can have low rolling resistance or you can have sticky, but you can't really have both. I do think the Alias looks better with the wider rubber, but that's a purely aesthetic judgment on my part.

It'll be really interesting to see what the Alias's performance numbers look like once a production model is ready for sale. The Tesla roadster has certainly proven that electric cars are capable of startling acceleration....

[FormerlyFlightsuit]

Large AND low rolling resistance? That's interesting, 'cause in the past, what we've seen from highly efficient cars like the Honda CRX HF and certain hybrids is that they've gone with ultra-skinny tires to reduce rolling resistance and squeeze every last bit of mpg out of the car.