01 Sep 2010
Specialist electric vehicle retailer EVStores has announced it will begin selling the Tazzari Zero electric vehicle in the UK from later this month.
The company said the Zero, a compact two-seat vehicle, purpose built for battery electric propulsion, will be available from its London showroom from 12 September.
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The Zero is powered by lithium-ion batteries that boast a range between charges of around 140km or about 87 miles. The car is also expected to reach an electronically capped top speed of 100 km/h (62mph) and will deliver acceleration from zero to 50km/h (31mph) in less than five seconds, ensuring the Zero should feel sufficiently powerful for urban roads.
The car is built by Tazzari, an Italian firm with a background in aluminium casting and other engineering services. Unsurprisingly, the Zero makes substantial use of aluminium in its construction to provide a light and strong frame. Including its 142kg battery pack, the Zero weighs under 550kg, or about 200kg less than a petrol-powered Smart ForTwo city car.
However, unlike the Smart, the Zero has been built to fit within European quadricycle rules, rather than the full-blown passenger car regulations. Quadricycles are not required to pass crash tests or meet other safety regulations.
EVStores said the UK on-the-road price for the Zero including batteries will be £21,500.
However, because of its quadricycle designation, the Zero is unlikely to qualify for the £5,000 grant that will soon be available to purchasers of full-blown electric cars, such as the upcoming Nissan Leaf or Mitsubishi i-Miev.
The government has yet to confirm precise eligibility criteria for its revised plug-in vehicle incentive scheme, but when the programme was unveiled by Labour in February it applied only to vehicles crash-tested to European, US, Japanese or an equivalent standard for cars.
The rules are widely expected to be retained, meaning that existing electric cars such as the Tazzari Zero and the iconic G-Wiz will not qualify for the incentive.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK? Add your comment
Tazzari Zero
20,900 euros in The Netherlands, minus EUR 13,220 Subsidie + free parking places in Amsterdam Nett Price here in Amsterdam = 7,680 euros. refer www.tazzarizero.nl If they can do that in Amsterdam why on earth not in the UK?????
Posted by Gavin McCully, 01 Sep 2010
Tazzari Zero - Zero marks for design
Why is it that new technology vehicles are so awful looking.? Who in their right mind would be seen in this thing? Plus the fact that as well as looking like a death trap, they have carefully avoided crash testing.
Posted by Graham Bodell, 02 Sep 2010
Tazzari Zero actually looks pretty good!
Having seen the Zero, I can say that actually I think it looks pretty good. Yes, it's small but then so is the Smart! The interior is also stylish and sporty for a car of this type - and I love the four coloured buttons placed prominently on the dash which allow you to choose the mode - it looks a bit like a Playstation! Whatever you think, it's a darn site better looking than the G-wizz and there are quite a few of those whirring around London!
Posted by Lynn Risbridger, 02 Sep 2010