host posted on March 16, 2009 09:31
Electric Cars of Costa Rica recently launched the first 100 percent electric car for distribution within the country, thus creating a medium to eliminate both emissions and trips to the gas station.
Titled the e-Zone EV, the new electric automobile is entirely pollution-free while being able to run up to 50 miles from a single charge. The e-Zone EV can charge from a standard household electrical socket. The price of the car may range between 15,500 and 17,500 USD.
CT&T, the producer of e-Zone EVs and the leading electric car manufacturer in Korea, reports their vehicles are made with cutting edge safety technology. The two-seat vehicles are built with fiberglass bodies over a rigid frame of aluminum designed to protect against collision impacts. The vehicles have been crash tested up to 30 miles per hour, while they meet U.S. and European standards of safety.
Capable and comfortable to drive on standard roadways, the cars feature significant leg and headroom. The four-wheel independent McPherson system of suspension uses four-wheel hydraulic disc-based brakes in conjunction with regenerative electromagnetic braking. A 72-volt AC motor supplies power to the car. While the lead-acid batteries provide a range on 50 kilometers, newer lithium-polymer batteries which are also available to provide ranges close to 100 kilometers. Features such as MP3 players and other components are available.
The Costa Rican government previously planned to sign an executive order to promote clean energy, energy efficient vehicles, and remove import duties. However, changes to the environmental ministry portfolio caused the signing ceremony to be postponed. The vice-minister of the Ministry of the Environment, Energy, and Telecommunications is now in charge of the portfolio, following the resignation of the former minister Roberto Dobles, who had been accused of granting mining concessions to relatives.