Stevens Vehicles
Encyclopedia
The ZeCar is a 5-door hatchback
with a twin AC induction brushless and maintenance free electric engine, giving the car 140 lb ft of torque
. There is a maintenance-free toothed belt drive to the rear wheels. battery
charging comprises an on-board automatic charging system, with maintenance-free sealed lead-acid gel batteries.
The maximum speed of the ZeCar is 56 mph, and with standard batteries the maximum range is 56 miles , unless back-up battery solutions are used. Acceleration is 0-40 mph in 15 seconds.
The running cost is calculated at 1.2p per mile and the car is not subject to road tax, or congestion charges and parking is free or discounted in some cities such as London.
This is currently the only five-seat electric car on sale in Britain.
As the van is electric it does not need servicing and at the end of the battery life Stevens Vehicles would plan to collect the old battery, replace it with a new one, and recycle the old battery. The van is constructed on the principle that it can be recharged on a three-pin plug, thus avoiding the need for supporting infrastructure, although rapid chargers can be purchased allowing a recharge time of 30 minutes. The range is 55 miles for the van and driver, reducing to 38 miles for a fully laden van. Additional batteries can be fitted to increase the range by 50%, but with a corresponding reduction in payload of 125 kg.
, together with a contemporary version of the Cipher, a concept car first shown at the 1980 motor show and which could go on sale with an electric engine with a range capability of 70 miles and a 70 mph top speed..
New battery technologies are under development, including non-hydrogen fuel cells and bio-diesel hybrids.
The global plan is to establish small Ze plants in rural areas across the developing world. The production line and other tools and materials would be delivered by a single lorry and full-scale production could begin rapidly with output flexible enough to meet the cycle of local supply. Tony Stevens refers to this concept as Global Village Transport.
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
with a twin AC induction brushless and maintenance free electric engine, giving the car 140 lb ft of torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
. There is a maintenance-free toothed belt drive to the rear wheels. battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
charging comprises an on-board automatic charging system, with maintenance-free sealed lead-acid gel batteries.
The maximum speed of the ZeCar is 56 mph, and with standard batteries the maximum range is 56 miles , unless back-up battery solutions are used. Acceleration is 0-40 mph in 15 seconds.
The running cost is calculated at 1.2p per mile and the car is not subject to road tax, or congestion charges and parking is free or discounted in some cities such as London.
This is currently the only five-seat electric car on sale in Britain.
ZeVan
The ZeVan is based on the same design as the ZeCar. Access to the rear is by twin-split doors which open out fully and the near-cube design allows optimum space utilisation. The load volume is one Cheps pallet or a Euro pallet and the payload is 450 kg. The dimensions of the load area are 1.80 cubic metres. The estimated battery life is 700 cycles at 80% depth of discharge and the design life is 12 years. The cost per mile is estimated at between 1p and 1.2p depending on the electricity tariff rate.As the van is electric it does not need servicing and at the end of the battery life Stevens Vehicles would plan to collect the old battery, replace it with a new one, and recycle the old battery. The van is constructed on the principle that it can be recharged on a three-pin plug, thus avoiding the need for supporting infrastructure, although rapid chargers can be purchased allowing a recharge time of 30 minutes. The range is 55 miles for the van and driver, reducing to 38 miles for a fully laden van. Additional batteries can be fitted to increase the range by 50%, but with a corresponding reduction in payload of 125 kg.
Future plans
The project plan is to develop several variations on the “Ze” theme. Future plans include variants on the Ze range, including a pick-up truck and taxiTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
, together with a contemporary version of the Cipher, a concept car first shown at the 1980 motor show and which could go on sale with an electric engine with a range capability of 70 miles and a 70 mph top speed..
New battery technologies are under development, including non-hydrogen fuel cells and bio-diesel hybrids.
The global plan is to establish small Ze plants in rural areas across the developing world. The production line and other tools and materials would be delivered by a single lorry and full-scale production could begin rapidly with output flexible enough to meet the cycle of local supply. Tony Stevens refers to this concept as Global Village Transport.