ZAP Forms Electric Vehicle Joint Venture with China’s Largest Luxury Bus Manufacturer
21 September 2007
ZAP and Youngman Automotive Group, China’s leading luxury motor coach and high-quality commercial truck manufacturer, have signed a joint venture agreement to manufacture, market and distribute electric and hybrid vehicles for the passenger car, truck and bus markets.
The new joint venture company will also focus on the development and manufacturing of electric charging infrastructure.
Youngman Automotive Group is a private holding company with 12 subsidiaries. Youngman’s partnership with Germany’s NEOPLAN controls more than 70% of the luxury motor coach market in China. Youngman is a supplier to NEOPLAN and MAN.
In 2004, Youngman was awarded a license to manufacture automobiles. Earlier this year, Youngman awarded Lotus Engineering a number of vehicle development projects, and has signed a vehicle distribution and technology licensing agreement with Proton. ZAP is also working with Lotus Engineering on the design of the all-electric ZAP-X crossover. (Earlier post.)
This is the most significant relationship that ZAP has ever entered into. This joint venture will provide a platform for both ZAP and Youngman to focus each other’s strengths to develop solutions that have the potential to transform the industry. Our energy will not stop at the vehicle engineering level. Using renewable energy to provide a cost effective recharging infrastructure to customers, we can change the world, one vehicle at a time.
—Steve Schneider, ZAP CEO
Youngman’s portfolio of products includes luxury motor coaches, inter-urbans, city and airport buses as well as premium commercial trucks for long distance, local distribution, heavy-duty building and special services. Youngman is building new factories in Shandong province with the backing of the Chinese government to expand its automotive manufacturing capacity.
Ok. So are they ever going to bring any of their products to market? A J.V. to produce electric cars doesn't mean squat if you have a proven track record of never bringing any products to market. (e.g. the Obvio electric models, the Americanization of the Smart, the ZAP-X) So far all we've got is a second-rate, 40 mph three wheeler, some scooters and battery-recharging technology.
I love what they "try" to do - I just wish they could actually implement.
Posted by: Andrew | 21 September 2007 at 01:49 PM
Yeah why can't zap actually produce an electric car that people would like to drive instead of these idiotic three wheelers and zebra looking piece of junk. How about a phev. Well at least they're trying. I hope they can make some real progress and leave Detroit in their dust.
Posted by: Sim | 21 September 2007 at 08:23 PM
IT IS A FACT THAT NO COMPANY EXCEPT FOR A SMALL ONE LIKE SMITH VEHICLES ,UK AND REVA CARS , INDIA HAVE EVER PUT ANY ELECTRIC VEHICLE ON THE ROAD.
Posted by: nirmalkumar | 21 September 2007 at 08:46 PM
"IT IS A FACT THAT NO COMPANY EXCEPT FOR A SMALL ONE LIKE SMITH VEHICLES ,UK AND REVA CARS , INDIA HAVE EVER PUT ANY ELECTRIC VEHICLE ON THE ROAD."
I disagree, GM put an EV on the road in California back
in the late 90's.
Posted by: JBrady | 23 September 2007 at 10:02 AM
If building a high performance electric car were easy to do then someone would have already done it. At least ZAP is selling electric vehicles today. I know someone who drives a Xebra and I would love to have one as well. I know that ZAP has delivered over 500 Xebra's and over 100,000 EV's total in 13 years. I know they sold a couple hundred Smart Cars before the manufacturer decided to enter the U.S. market, so they may be on to something.
Posted by: kmartinez | 24 September 2007 at 10:40 AM
If building a high performance electric car were easy to do then someone would have already done it. At least ZAP is selling electric vehicles today. I know someone who drives a Xebra and I would love to have one as well. I know that ZAP has delivered over 500 Xebra's and over 100,000 EV's total in 13 years. I know they sold a couple hundred Smart Cars before the manufacturer decided to enter the U.S. market, so they may be on to something.
Posted by: kmartinez | 24 September 2007 at 10:40 AM
If building a high performance electric car were easy to do then someone would have already done it. At least ZAP is selling electric vehicles today. I know someone who drives a Xebra and I would love to have one as well. I know that ZAP has delivered over 500 Xebra's and over 100,000 EV's total in 13 years. I know they sold a couple hundred Smart Cars before the manufacturer decided to enter the U.S. market, so they may be on to something.
Posted by: kmartinez | 24 September 2007 at 10:40 AM
If building a high performance electric car were easy to do then someone would have already done it. At least ZAP is selling electric vehicles today. I know someone who drives a Xebra and I would love to have one as well. I know that ZAP has delivered over 500 Xebra's and over 100,000 EV's total in 13 years. I know they sold a couple hundred Smart Cars before the manufacturer decided to enter the U.S. market, so they may be on to something.
Posted by: kmartinez | 24 September 2007 at 10:40 AM
There is no company in the world, in any industry that I have ever seen, that has more smoke & mirrors, without substance, than ZAP.
They are a company that lives on, makes money from, and exists by, press releases alone.
They are an SEC investigation waiting to happen.
You heard it here first.
Posted by: Michael | 25 September 2007 at 07:06 AM
Whats with posting the same crap a bunch of times. Your a loser kmartinez.
Posted by: kmartinezsucks | 25 September 2007 at 04:07 PM
kmartinez - it is easy to do. Check out Tesla Motors. Better range, better speed, better overall utilization. Only slightly more expensive than ZAP's proposed ZAP-X and Obvio-electric.
They're on the road already in CA... and the interesting part is that Tesla did it the first time, right out of the gate. No need to implement 10,000 press releases when your company can deliver on its promises.
Again - I support where ZAP is trying to go - hell I even own 1000 shares of their stock. For those reasons alone, I'd love to see them actually deliver something.
The Xebra is "ok" - but is not fully functional as a trade-off for an automobile. Only the geeks in Silicon Valley have been able to produce in this arena so far (see Tesla Motors above)
Posted by: Andrew | 25 September 2007 at 05:51 PM
How about this new EV company:
www.pearmotors.com
I heard they got something really good going...
They are working with a comapny similar to AltairNano but in South Korea for the battery pack and with PLM Flightlink for the in-wheel drives.
I can't wait to see more actually...
Fred
Posted by: Fred | 11 October 2007 at 10:02 PM
Mildred and loving
Posted by: richard loving Mildred | 08 May 2008 at 10:07 AM