Eco-urbanity

Did you see the three-wheeled electric car cruising around the grid during the monthly art walk? Neon green and a bit odd, the “Neighborhood Electric Vehicle” looked like a UFO … but on wheels.

LJUrban officially unveiled the company’s ZAP Xebra—a zero-emissions, all-electric, urban-minded automobile—on Saturday evening outside Old Soul Co. headquarters. The car, manufactured by ZAP of Santa Rosa, is tiny but just right for downtown transit.

“It’s clear the car is provoking curiosity and questions, which is exactly what we wanted,” said Jason Presley of LJUrban. “Our hope is that the car starts a ‘street-level’ dialogue with Sacramentans about healthier ways of living in and building our cities.”

The ZAPCAR tops out at 40 mph, runs on a lead-acid battery and—here’s the kicker—recharges in eight hours once you plug it into a household 120-volt outlet.

LJUrban’s Xebra even is decorated with musings by local Sacramentans. They vary from the humorous ("Gas is 4 farting not 4 cars") to the progressive-minded ("My other car has two legs").

The ZAPCAR retails for about $9,000, but the estimated fuel cost is only one penny per mile. With that kind of mileage you could not only live a more economical and ecological lifestyle, you also could end a war!