The Zenn (which stands for Zero Emission, No Noise), available since February from Feel Good Cars subsidiary Zenn Motor, can be purchased from 33 dealerships throughout 20 U.S. states.
Surprised that you've never heard of the two-"n" Zenn? That may be because the company doesn't plan to have an official car-promoting launch until September 9, 2007.
Priced between $12,750 and $16,000, depending on options selected, the car offers a driving range of up to 35 miles per charge. And while the car can theoretically go faster, it tops out at 25 mph, in keeping with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations for this type of car.
The earth-friendly future is here with ZENN, the zero-emission, no-noise fully-featured electric vehicle. In addition to requiring no gasoline, the ZENN distinguishes itself with comfort, convenience and utility no other Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) can match. The ZENN can be recharged anywhere by simply plugging it into a standard electrical outlet and it can be ready to go in as little as four hours! At only pennies per mile to operate, and with minimal maintenance requirements, the ZENN is the ideal choice for consumers and businesses alike.
The 1200lb car has just over 13 cubic feet of storage space but has a rather limited range of about 35 miles, so don't plan on taking this car on any road trips.
Ironically, while the Zenn was developed by a publicly traded company based in Canada, it has not yet been approved for street-legal driving in Canadian provinces. But it's among one of the electric cars you can buy right now in the United States.
Of course, that's not the most interesting thing about this company.
In April 2007, Zenn Motor paid about $2.5 million for a 3.8 percent share in EEstor, a company that claims to be developing a revolutionary technology that will offer a much longer charge range than those of prevalent chemical batteries. It remains to be seen whether future versions of the Zenn will have this "super battery."
While Zenn cars may have a special power source from EEStor, its current three-door hatchback model offers a battery that can become 80 percent recharged in 4 hours, or fully recharged in 8 hours, from any standard 120-volt outlet.
And for our left-loving neighbors in the United Kingdom, Japan and elsewhere, Zenn Motor posts in its specs that it is also offering a right-side drive option.
