plus 3, ZAP Alias Electric Car Debuts at North American International Auto ... - Earthtimes

ZAP Alias Electric Car Debuts at North American International Auto ... - Earthtimes
5 Dual-Sport Bikes Take on Death Valley: Test Drive - Popular Mechanics
2010 Kawasaki Z1000 Test Ride: Naked Bike Is Lighter With More Punch - Popular Mechanics
Next Chevy Aveo May Be Dramatic Improvement - U.S. News Rankings & Reviews

ZAP Alias Electric Car Debuts at North American International Auto ... - Earthtimes

Posted: 08 Jan 2010 10:25 AM PST

DETROIT, MI -- 01/08/10 -- Electric transportation pioneer ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP) of Santa Rosa is previewing its Alias 100 percent electric sports car at the North American International Auto Show, January 11-24, in Detroit, Michigan. The display is part of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, a competition with a $10 million purse for production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 miles per gallon or energy equivalent.

The ZAP Alias will be located in the auto show debut of "Electric Avenue," a section on the main floor that will showcase electric vehicles and technology. The exhibit area will feature nearly 20 vehicles as well as symposiums and special events. For more information, visit http://www.naias.com.

The Alias was designed by ZAP and European engineers. Powered by an array of large-format lithium batteries, the base model Alias can top 85 miles per hour and travel over 100 miles on a charge. The drive system uses a compact, high-efficiency, air-cooled, AC-induction motor and carries an expected list price of around $35,000. See the vehicle in action at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m8wlBj8RXs.

ZAP is optimizing the Alias design to meet growing demand from the EU and Southeast Asia as well as requirements of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE. The Company expects to announce a distribution partner in the near future.

About ZAP

ZAP is one of the world's oldest consumer electric vehicle providers, having delivered over 117,000 of a broad range of electric vehicles to more than 75 countries since 1994. ZAP supplies electric trucks and vans to military and government fleets and is an innovator of electric motorcycles, scooters and ATVs. ZAP supplies some of the only electric city-speed cars and trucks in production today. For further information, visit http://www.zapworld.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, continued acceptance of the Company's products, increased levels of competition for the Company, new products and technological changes, the Company's dependence upon third-party suppliers, intellectual property rights, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Contact:

ZAP
Alex Campbell
707-525-8658 x 241
acampbell@zapworld.com

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5 Dual-Sport Bikes Take on Death Valley: Test Drive - Popular Mechanics

Posted: 08 Jan 2010 09:35 AM PST

Watch out for the decreasing-radius hairpin turns when you're blasting down Death Valley's Titus Canyon. I'm the lead rider in our group of five, my helmet and hands buzzing from the KTM's torquey 449-cc four-stroke. Every twist of this serpentine, dusty trail hides a surprise, and any hamfisted moves with the throttle could mean a side trip into the unforgiving brush—perhaps worse. Suddenly, the trail snakes abruptly to the right; I barely make the turn and drift wide into the soft, sandy shoulder as the prickly branches of the desert sagebrush graze my pant legs. Whew.

Death Valley is notoriously unforgiving. It's remote, dry and, yes, very hot—134 F is the record temperature. There's good reason auto engineers arrive here every summer for hot-weather testing in camouflaged prototypes. If the air conditioning works in Death Valley, it works anywhere. As inhospitable as this place may be, its topography is like an amusement park for hikers, campers and gearheads looking to get a little dirty. This 3.4-million-acre national park on the California–Nevada border has trails ideally suited to our mission: testing dual-sport motorcycles.

Dual-sport bikes are like the crossover SUVs of the motorcycle world. They are off-road bikes toned down and made legal for road use. Since weight is the enemy of off-road riding, they are all "thumpers"—torque-rich, single-cylinder machines that conservatively sip fuel. So, they've become popular bikes for commuting. In fact, last year, the dual-sport segment grew 23 percent. Impressive, considering that the motorcycle market as a whole declined by 3.3 percent.

Our group of riders rambles into Death Valley National Park and convenes at the rustic Furnace Creek Ranch one early spring weekend to kick up some dirt. Our skill levels are as diverse as the bikes we're testing. The Honda CRF230L and Yamaha XT250 represent the popular entry-level class. The Kawasaki KLX250S and Suzuki DR-Z400S are two consecutive upward steps in capability. Finally, at the extreme end of the performance envelope sits the KTM 450 EXC, a race-ready dirt rocket. Professional tester Danny Coe has blasted each one down the quarter-mile at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., before we arrive in Death Valley. So we have an idea which ones will take a more experienced hand.

And our guest rider has spent a large part of his life on two wheels. Joining our team for this three-day trail test is part-time motorcycle rider and full-time MythBuster Jamie Hyneman. Jamie gravitates right to the fire-breathing KTM—it became his favorite steed on this trip.

Rocky Roads

The trails of Death Valley radiate outward likE A pinwheel from our Furnace Creek home base. Dual-sport bikes don't have to be hauled to the trailhead like a dedicated dirt machine. You just saddle up and ride. And to get in a full day of riding, we begin at the coldest part—early morning.

The stunning, snow-covered Panamint Range is a welcome distraction from the chill. Still, a 30-mile pavement ride reminds us that these bikes do have some drawbacks. There is no bodywork to shield you from wind. The seats pack all the comfort of a park bench. And the knobby tires put little rubber on the tarmac. So these bikes certainly aren't cushy cruisers. But it's that upright riding position that makes dual-sport bikes so maneuverable—and perfect for the dirt.

The packed gravel road leading to Titus Canyon drops into an ever-narrowing switchback canyon. The road itself is mild. A rental car could make it—very slowly. But at the speed we're going, the constant washboard bumps would probably shake a car dashboard into a pile of crumbled plastic.

These bikes have suspension travel to spare, so they soak up the ridges and allow us to race through to more challenging terrain. All of these bikes occasionally spit fist-size rocks. But when you're dressed in a suit of armored Alpinestars gear, as we are, you're nearly bulletproof.

Down in the canyon, as we slice between the high rock walls, the Honda and Yamaha ease us back into the sport. Just about anyone can throw a leg over these bikes; the learning curve is short. But dirt riding requires a subtle touch. It's tempting to stiffen your arm muscles and make small, frantic steering corrections. Not only will you wake up the next morning with sore shoulders, but these bikes won't respond well to this busywork.

The best way to ride on this terrain is to guide the bikes and forget about small course corrections. It's easier to stand and use your body weight to steer. Once you're in a groove, the moves are graceful, satisfying and quite relaxing. Our group hits that mark as we close in on our lunch stop and glide past the rusty brown and slate-gray canyon walls.

The KLX packs a surprisingly hefty punch. There's a good balance between suspension travel and seat height. And the powerplant is more highly tuned than the other 250s here, so once you spin the motor to its 10,500 redline, hold on.

The deeper we go, the tighter the canyon gets. And nobody wants to let up. The big Suzuki and the KTM both have a wonderful overload of power. The Suzuki is equipped with slightly more street-oriented tires. Yet the motor is ferocious, so lifting the front wheel is just a twist of the throttle away. But the KTM is really in another class. Even with the dirt-specific tires, this bike effortlessly breaks traction, power-slides and sends up a sky-high roost of dirt. We quickly nickname it the Big Block. For those of us with less experience, the KTM can be a bit intimidating. But Jamie can't get enough of it. (By this time, the MythBuster has long since dispelled any doubts about his riding prowess—the man has serious off-road chops). The KTM is "a barrelful of monkeys," he says, in one of those anachronisms that somehow sounds natural coming from under a handlebar mustache. "It gives me everything I can handle."

We gas the bikes through the last of the switchbacks, dirt-track style, with the rear ends swinging wide. On the street these would be hooligan moves, but in the dirt, it's just the right way to ride.

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2010 Kawasaki Z1000 Test Ride: Naked Bike Is Lighter With More Punch - Popular Mechanics

Posted: 08 Jan 2010 09:35 AM PST

Streetfighter-style motorcycles are incredibly popular in Europe, but their stripped-down, bulked-up aesthetic hasn't enjoyed the same success in the U.S. So when Kawasaki updated its Z1000 for 2010, it kept a keen eye on injecting its naked liter bike with the supersport-inspired traits that American buyers prefer. Armed with cold-weather gear and a full tank of gas, we attacked some of central California's most challenging stretches of road to see if the Z1000's European flavor hits a sweet spot here in the U.S.

The Specs

The 2010 Kawasaki Z1000 recasts its approachable personality through sharpened chassis, engine and styling updates. Borrowed from the Kawasaki's world of undiluted sportbikes, the Z1000's aluminum chassis is 30 percent more torsionally rigid and 8.8 pounds lighter than the steel unit it replaces. A new die-cast aluminum subframe enables a lower and narrower seat, while an added engine mount optimizes rigidity and chassis responsiveness, making a total of four contact points for the powerplant. As before, the engine acts as a stressed member.

Compression damping is now available on the fully adjustable 41-mm inverted forks, and the new horizontal back-link shock is also optimized for better mass centralization—as are the new love-'em-or-hate-'em rose-gold twin shorty mufflers, which are each 1.5 pounds lighter thanks to a new prechamber.

Brakes are now closer to the track-ready units found on Kawasaki's ZX-10R, with radially mounted four-piston front calipers and dual 300-mm petal discs up front. The single-piston rear caliper has been rotated downward to showcase the 250-mm petal disc, and new five-spoke cast-aluminum wheels have machined edges and open spokes. Rubber has been upgraded to supersport-spec Dunlop Sportmax tires.

Overall, the new Z1000 is 22 pounds lighter than the old model, bringing the total curb weight to 481 pounds. But it's also more powerful, thanks to a new engine that displaces 90 more cubic centimeters than its predecessor thanks to increased stroke and slightly decreased bore, for a total of 1043 cc. The inline Four was developed specifically for the Z1000, and adds a secondary balancer to enable stiffer chassis tuning. The previous semi-upright Keihin throttle bodies are now downdraft units for improved midrange power and sharper throttle response.

The new powerplant gets a 13 hp and 8.4 lb-ft torque boost for a total of 138 hp and 81.1 lb-ft of torque—nearly the same amount of twist found on the ZX-10R, but peaking 4000 rpm earlier. Two ducts on either side of the small fairing route air through the frame and into a resonator chamber within the airbox to enhance engine-intake sound, primarily for the middle to upper registers of the engine's 11,000 rpm powerband.

The Ride

Using the seaside town of Cambria, Calif., as a starting point, we ventured on a series of single-lane byways to see how the Z1000's spec sheet translates to tarmac. Dew-dampened leaves littered the roughly paved coil of Santa Rosa Creek Road, and without the luxury of presetting the suspension, the Z1000 initially felt tightly wound up. Turn-in was abrupt, and the chassis felt unsettled midcorner, leading us to tread cautiously on these unfamiliar twists and turns until we had a chance to tweak the front and rear damping settings. But even at prudent speeds, we were already impressed with the engine's strong, smooth pull on the straights and its punchy power delivery.

The lunch break allowed us to check tire inflation and to dial down both front and rear rebound settings, which tamed much of the bike's edginess. Though it still changed direction with enough liveliness to keep us on our toes, the Z1000's handling lost its disconcerting edge, allowing us to cut more aggressive lines and dip more freely into the inline Four's power reserves.

Bombing across rambling Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, which links Fort Hunter Liggett to the coastal Big Sur area, our small pack of riders picked up the pace and pushed our Z1000s harder. At higher speeds and on less technical stretches, the chassis felt well-suited to the engine, and strong midrange torque enabled acceleration that spooled up with surprising eagerness between 7000 rpm and redline. While short gear ratios offered enthusiastic pull at midrange engine speeds, that burst of power in the upper register packed a serious punch. The brilliant intake howl didn't hurt the experience, either.

Though the clutch lever felt tighter than we prefer, the short-ratio six-speed transmission made it easy enough to tap through the cogs when necessary. Brakes were also powerful enough to set the bike up properly for turns. And while we were encouraged by the tweaked suspension settings, we would have liked to experiment with a few more settings in order to trade some sharpness for stability; Kawasaki officials weren't kidding when they said the Z1000 was a dynamic ride.

To the bike's credit, after roughly 150 miles of aggressive riding, the Z1000 proved comfortable enough to welcome extra time in the saddle thanks to its within-reach handlebars and relatively upright posture.

The Bottom Line

While the Z1000 behaves more like a sporty weekend toy than an everyday ride, its strengths lie in the fact that it offers a deep performance envelope alongside solid comfort. While more seasoned motorcyclists will appreciate its manageable ergonomics, the Z1000 could lure younger riders who might be attracted to brawny bikes like the Suzuki B-King or raw-edged exercises like the Triumph Speed Triple. Budget-conscious commuter bikes grab more buyers than ever, but we certainly hope the Z1000 earns enough commercial success to keep this focused genre alive in the U.S.

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Next Chevy Aveo May Be Dramatic Improvement - U.S. News Rankings & Reviews

Posted: 08 Jan 2010 07:19 AM PST

The current Chevy Aveo ranks as one of the least appealing American cars. In our Affordable Small Car rankings, which measure the consensus opinion of the automotive press about a car's merits, the Aveo places 29th…out of 29. It would be hard for General Motors to build an Aveo replacement as lackluster as the current Aveo. But the car is due for replacement soon. The automotive press has now seen a preview of what GM will do to its least expensive car this year – and the changes look very good.

Jalopnik explains, "The problem with the current Aveo is its crushing mediocrity. There's nothing outright bad about the car, but nothing very good about it either. GM's planning on upending that mediocrity with the next Aveo, moving the car onto a bigger platform, giving it some aggression and actually styling the interior."

The Aveo RS concept, Motor Trend says, is "a thinly veiled preview of the long-awaited Aveo replacement." The company says it is aiming the new design at "younger buyers and enthusiasts and hopes to hook them with the kinds of personalization options that have been such a hit for small-car competitors Scion and Kia."

Autoblog says "The Aveo RS has much more attractive proportions with a wider stance and longer profile that make it look much more aggressive than the current model."

The improvements inside may be even more dramatic. It's more spacious in every dimension. Motor Trend adds, "Stitching on the doors, seats, floor mats, steering wheel, shifter, and hand brake boots and instrument panels is all done in blue to match the exterior paint and pops against the matte black interior." Designers used a motorcycle theme for the interior, complete with gauges designed to mimic the instrument cluster of a two-wheeler. "Gloss black and milled aluminum trim pieces are used sparingly so as not to overdo it. Blue backlighting on the various screens and controls completes the theme."

Mechanically, the next Aveo will boast more power than the current car. Edmunds Inside Line reports, "The five-passenger subcompact is powered by a 138-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission. The engine is the same one that will be available in the Chevrolet Cruze and provides a 30-hp bump over the base 2010 Chevrolet Aveo production model."

Kicking Tires comments, "The Aveo has been a source of cheap wheels for car shoppers for years, but the Aveo RS indicates Chevrolet wants to make it something more than just an affordable choice." Much depends on the price Chevy decides to charge for the next Aveo. KT notes, "It's too early to know how the new Aveo will be priced, but from what we can see from the show car, the new Aveo looks much better positioned to challenge models like the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa."

If you're in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year's best cars as well as this month's best car deals.

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