Z Electric Vehicle
 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guidelines for companies and organizations. (January 2014) |
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| Founder | DH Zehrbach |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , US |
Area served | US, Europe, Asia, Australia |
| Products | Electric scooters |
| Website | zelectricvehicle |
Z Electric Vehicle Corporation (ZEV) is an American owned and operated electric scooter manufacturer and distributor based in Morgantown, West Virginia, with test facilities in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.[1] Its vehicles are assembled in both the US and China with assembly shops in the USA, Australia, and Vietnam. ZEV says its electric scooters are the world's most powerful, fastest, and have the longest range.[2][3][4] Roughly 200 are produced every year.
The ZEV products are often labeled as scooters due to many models having electric hand controls and a step through frame. This design was specifically chosen by the company as the most comfortable and user friendly model. Since a typical motorcycle is difficult to mount and handle for smaller riders, their design opens up operation of the vehicle to a larger portion of the general public.
History
The company started out as an at-home project in the founder, DH Zerbach's, home garage in 2008. In 2009 operations moved to an airport hangar in Waynesburg, PA before moving back to Morgantown, WV in 2013 where the company is currently located.
DH Zerback II was inspired to use hub style electric motors by his grandfather who had traveled to Japan and seen electromagnet motors utilized in trains.[5] Combining experience in vehicle manufacturing from working at BMW during his college years and a lifelong love of motorcycles, Zerbach began making electric two wheeled vehicles. Implementing the hub style motor into a commuter vehicle brought the company into the global market for clean energy transportation.
Scooters
ZEV has 13 electric scooter models.[6] The scooters range from the ZEV 3600 with a top speed of 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) and a range of 32 miles (51 km), to the 10 kW (13 hp) 10 LRC, with a range (at 65% power) of 140 miles (230 km), and a top speed of 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph).[3]
ZEV uses a gearless electromagnet[7] powered hub style motor and powers its scooters with lithium batteries, as well as less costly lead/sodium silicate batteries.[8] ZEV says the secret to its massive torque is large-diameter, multiphase motors, with a heavy emphasis on component cooling. Cooling the hub-mounted motor using an oil bath arrangement lets ZEV run a large motor at high speeds without the power sapping and motor-destroying effects of excess heat.[1][2]
ZEV's founder is DH Zehrbach, an aeronautic engineer. Zehrbach said, "What we try to do is offer higher speeds and performance than the competition, generally at 25 percent less price. We're the only company that uses hub motors, built in the back wheel. There's no chain, there's no belt drive and no air being forced through the motor, so you'll find our bikes are significantly quieter than anybody else's electric bike."[1]
Markets
In addition to sales in the US, as of 2013 ZEV was exporting scooters to 17 countries worldwide, and has won awards for exports and marketing. With 13 models, ZEV is reported to have the widest range of models of any electric motorcycle and scooter manufacturing company in the world.[9]
Convictions of ZEV’s Founder Darus Zehrbach
In 1994 a Third Circuit federal appellate court upheld the conviction of Zev’s founder Darus Zehrbach and an associate on charges of bankruptcy fraud.[10] Mr. Zehrbach was accused of rigging an auction of the assets of a bankrupt aircraft manufacturing company, by paying off others to refrain from bidding. Mr. Zehrbach was sentenced to imprisonment for 21 months, followed by three years of supervised release.[10]
In 2004 a Fourth Circuit federal appellate court confirmed another conviction of Mr. Zehrbach and an associate of conspiracy to defraud buyers of aircraft kit engines.[11] Zehrbach was found to have promised to deliver aircraft engine kits that did not yet exist. While negotiating the deals Mr. Zehrbach was out on bond during the appeal of the previous bankruptcy fraud conviction. He did not tell prospective buyers that he and a co-conspirator had previous convictions for crimes involving financial dishonesty, nor that he would be incarcerated during the period he had promised delivery. The court concluded the engines did not exist, he had no intention of delivering them, and simply took the buyers’ money and never repaid it. The court affirmed his sentence of 54 months imprisonment, and required restitution of $224,148.10.[11]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Chris Peters (May 21, 2012). "ZEV Electric Scooters born of sport bike passion". Powersports Business. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Loz Blain (April 19, 2010). "ZEV comes out swinging: lays claim to world's fastest electric scooter". Gizmag. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "ZEV claims 140-mile range for new electric scooter". Dealernews.com. April 10, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-11.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Eric Schaal (June 20, 2014). "5 Electric Motorcycles With Over 130 Miles of Range". Wall Street Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "How Maglev Trains Work". HowStuffWorks. 2000-10-13. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
- ^ "Electric Scooters From ZEV". Clean Technica. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
- ^ "How Electromagnets Work". HowStuffWorks. 2000-04-01. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
- ^ Billings, Randy (May 9, 2012). "Z Electric Vehicle Introduces New Model 5000 Scooter". EV World.com. EV World. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
- ^ "ZEV electric bikes win 14 export awards". Powersports Business. July 26, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b Roth, Circuit Judge (January 23, 1995). "United states v. Darus H. Zehrbach & Alex A. Mervis". Third Circuit Court of Appeals (unpublished opinion). Retrieved August 30, 2015.
- ^ a b per curiam (May 11, 2004). "United States of America vs. Darus Zehrbach & Lee Ann Demus" (PDF). Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (unpublished opinion). Retrieved August 30, 2015.