A friend of mine spotted this car on the highway in Lebanon. It’s the four-door ZAP Xebra electric city car that is manufactured by Chinese transportation pioneer ZAP. It was introduced in 2007 and drives up to 64 KPH. The Xebra costs a little over 7000$. [More]
If you ask me, this car could solve a lot of problems in Lebanon, especially with the ever-increasing gas prices. Taxi drivers should switch to that car, as well as municipalities and some government departments.
Maybe we should email both Ministries of Environment and Energy in Lebanon and ask them to consider this alternative to petrol cars.
Except you forgot the fact we don’t have electricity in Lebanon 🙂
I don’t think electric cars would work well in Lebanon right now and that’s because Lebanon isn’t flat which means the already low mileage a battery powered car is going to get cut a lot shorter with trips up hill.
This is a city car so it could work out inside Beirut plus those municipality cars who keep roaming their cities doing nothing but waste fuel and pollute can easily switch to this. Electricity wise there s at least 18 hours a day in Beirut so it could be a start there 🙂
Still, electric cars are not practical” in everyday life.
not to mention that a 3-wheels + Chinese car is not safe at all.
mich baddo ykoun fi kahraba bill awwal ta nfakker bi elictical car?
You’re a latecomer Baladi.
There was a plan to abolish custom taxes on hybrid vehicles and offer low interest bank loans to taxi drivers interested in buying these types of vehicles before the last government collapsed.
These – 3 wheeled cars – are absolutely horrific as far as stability is concerned; they will tip over and roll at a drop of a hat. In a place like Lebanon, where emergency maneuvering is a must and a common occurance, you’ll see more of these cars on their side and roof, then upright. Otherwise, your suggestion is correct.
Watching top gear confirms that 3 wheels are a thing of beauty
1. Electric cars are for the feeble
2. There is no electricity in Lebanon to charge the thing.
3. 3 wheel cars are hard to manoeuvre … given 80% of Lebanese drivers are nomads when it comes to driving, an electric 3 wheel car in Lebanon is simply a newer way for frantic suicide
4. It’s a Chinese car
If you think the 3-wheeled electric car is dangerous, I’ve heard the elecric Renault they’re rolling out in Israel is pretty good:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47486268/ns/world_news-world_environment/
…but electric cars will probably not noticeably reduce emissions, but instead shift them to wherever it is that the batteries are made.
Where are all those unemployed Lebanese engineers? They should be working on hydrogen-powered cars.