The Xebra is an adorable, fun little car …

ZAP announced today their intentions to release a $30,000 all-electric sports car by Next Year.

ZAP says it will be designing its cars to include a head unit made for the iPod. ZAP cars would play music from the iPod through the car speaker system as well as recharge using the ZAP Recharge-It-All made for iPod battery system.

From CNN Money:

ZAP Electric Cars of San Antonio (http://www.zapcarsa.com), located at Loop 1604 and Stone Oak Parkway, is offering the Xebra®, a three-wheel, four-door compact car and two-seat pickup. The vehicle was designed for gas-free, city driving up to 40 MPH and plugs into any normal household outlet.

ZAP is growing by leaps and bounds. Even though their cars don’t reach top speeds, they’re recognized as a convenient car for many people’s day-to-day needs. Being affordable helps, but at the core is public interest fueling the demand.

The San Antonio dealership is owned by Tito Norris, a local orthodontist who …read more

From ChinaDaily.com:

Youngman Automotive Group, China’s leading luxury coach and high-quality commercial truck manufacturer, has signed a joint venture agreement with US electric car pioneer ZAP 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 manufacture of electric charging infrastructure. The deal includes the manufacture of buses, trucks and passenger vehicles, including the Zap-X crossover SUV.
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As big of a fan of some of the new hybrids as I am, I know electric cars have benefits above and beyond hybrids. Not just related …read more

I believe this to be one of the few ventures today that has a serious near-term business plan to mass produce electric vehicles.