ZAP, China Youngman JV Initiates RFQ for Highway Electric Car

22 January 2008

The joint venture between ZAP and China Youngman Automotive Group (earlier post) has issued an RFQ (Request For Quotation) process for a three-wheel, two-seat highway all-electric vehicle called Alias.

Rendering of the ZAP Alias.

Joint venture Chairman Albert Lam, former CEO of Lotus Engineering, says the 100 mph, 150-mile range, electric vehicle design could go into production by 2nd quarter 2009 with a targeted price of $30,000. Some of the existing Youngman facilities will manufacture the vehicle.

The ZAP Alias electric vehicle project was conceived via collaboration between ZAP and Lotus Engineering in 2007. The two companies carried out a feasibility study on next generation electric vehicle technologies and the Alias vehicle was announced along with a crossover SUV project called the ZAP-X, based on Lotus Engineering’s Aluminum Performance Crossover (APX) demonstrator. (Earlier post.)

ZAP plans to present its progress on the Alias electric vehicle at North America’s largest dealer conference, NADA, 9-12 February in San Francisco, California.

The performance goals are attainable because the pace of new technology is accelerating. We have worked with Lotus Engineering during the initial phase of the development project and shall again be looking forward to their support.

—Steve Schneider, ZAP CEO

ZAP plans to distribute the Alias under a new brand name for the Joint Venture Company in North America. The Alias will be sold through qualified ZAP dealers. ZAP has a dealer network with 50 locations across the United States selling its current vehicles, the Xebra and Zapino.