THE "AIRFRAME"

Where the ZENN really shines, IMHO, is in the design of it's body and suspension - it's "airframe" so to speak.  The ZENN is an electric conversion of the French Micro-Car.  The Micro-Car is, in Europe, a 2-cylinder diesel affair.  The Canadian company called ZENN buys the airframes from Micro-Car as "gliders", that is, without diesel engines.  ZENN then adds the electric motor, controller, and batteries.  ZENNs are then sold in the US and British Columbia as "neighborhood electric vehicles" or NEVs.

The Micro-Car airframe is designed to be a practical, real, car.  It is completely enclosed where most others are not.  It can seat 2 larger-than-average people and can haul a moderate amount of groceries, etc.  It is a 3-door hatchback design and, because it uses a largely aluminum frame - like an airplane - it is quite light.  According to ZENN it's dry weight is between 1200 and 1300 pounds.  This is quite light as electric cars currently go, and surely a darnsite lighter than the all-steel Ranger pickup I was previously planning to convert.

When it comes to efficiency, weight is the most important factor.  The lighter you can make the vehicle, the fewer horsepower it takes to move it.  Fewer horsepower needed means fewer batteries needed.  Fewer batteries needed means lighter weight.  You see where this is heading?

Everything is a trade-off, however.  It takes more weight to completely enclose a vehicle, and that is absolutely mandatory in Montana and other northern states.  It takes more weight for comfortable seats, a heater, and rack-and-pinion steering.  A radio even weighs something.  If you are (or have been) either a bicyclist or a backpacker, you are accustomed to always thinking about the weight you lug around.  The less the better!

I think that Micro-Car (and in turn, ZENN) have made some pretty darn good trade offs.   They have an airframe that provides an amazing amount of creature comfort and utility and still ends up lighter on the scales than any other NEV I've seen.  This is why you have to test drive a ZENN - actually get into it and move around.  This thing is _comfortable_!  Oh, sure, a Rolls it isn't.  But it is easily as comfortable as the Ranger I had previously thought to convert.  And the ZENN is about half the weight!

The disadvantage of light weight is crash-worthiness.  Generally, the more massive a vehicle is, the more crash resistant it is.  But the extra weight costs alot in terms of efficiency.  Those folks who value safety above all should buy a tank, not a ZENN.  On the other hand, if you value independence from OPEC, increased homeland security, and a cleaner planet - then buy the ZENN!

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