Test drive of 2007 ZENN electric vehicle inspires elation -- and fear

The 2007 Zenn electric vehicle that I recently test drove filled me with elation – and fear.

I was elated because, after years of driving experimental prototypes, this all-electric car is capable of being driven by real people now.

The fear came while driving the so-called Zenn (Zero Emission No Noise) in downtown Sacramento traffic, surrounded by aggressive motorists who were not sharing my patience driving a vehicle with a maximum speed of only 25 miles per hour.

Simply put, the Zenn is a niche car.

It's a near-perfect fit for those living in a gated neighborhood or a retirement community with defined boundaries off the main roadways. It would work well on a college campus or in a business park.

It's likewise perfect for urban dwellers who drive only a few miles daily, want to eliminate gas stations entirely and have the courage to ignore all those impatient motorists expecting them to go faster.

The first impression of the Zenn is its smallness. The wheelbase is 81.8 inches, and the car I tested weighed a mere 1,200 pounds. It looks like a shrunken minivan equipped with only two doors.

Actually, it's a three-door hatchback that fits two people very comfortably. Its back end can be converted to carry 13 cubic feet of cargo: about the same volume you get in the trunk of a good-sized sedan.

As its name implies, starting up the Zenn elicits absolute meditative silence. Remember, this is an all-electric car, so sound doesn't enter the picture until you press the accelerator. Then you get a high-pitched whine, but it's not intrusive.

Shifting is done by a simple toggle switch – forward and reverse.

Given its limited maximum speed, the Toronto-based Zenn Motor Co. makes it clear that the vehicle is not meant for the interstates. You won't be driving this car across the Yolo Causeway or up Interstate 80 to Tahoe.

The 25-mph limit – and the time it takes to hit that mark – is not a good thing when you're mixing it up in downtown Sacramento traffic.

I was completely intimidated the first time I took the Zenn out on city streets. While I was aggressive in hitting the accelerator to merge with surrounding traffic, cars behind me seemed determined to swallow the Zenn whole.

I took a lot of heat from impatient motorists, despite the fact that the Zenn had a triangular, slow-moving-vehicle sign on its tail end.

To put the Zenn through its paces in a less-stressful setting, I zipped into a large downtown parking lot.

The car handled like a champ. The reverse gear was actually more responsive than the forward speed, and the car was so balanced that I could drive it in reverse with one finger on the steering wheel.

The Zenn can slalom with the best of them, a natural byproduct of its size, slight weight and good balance on the front-driving wheels.

The car's batteries are designed to travel 35 miles on a single charge. Recharging is a snap, even for someone like me who's technologically challenged by the DVD remote. A side-mounted port looks like a typical gas tank opening, but it takes a plug instead of a nozzle. The other end of the plug goes into a standard 120-volt outlet.

The company claims the Zenn can be 80 percent recharged in only four hours. To ensure a full charge, eight hours does the trick. The car's six sealed, 12-volt, lead-acid batteries are designed to last three to five years.

The 2007 Zenn I tested started at a comparatively pricey $14,700. The 2008 Zenn is higher – starting at $15,995 – and can be dressed up with various options, including air conditioning ($2,200), a sunroof ($1,195) and a radio ($295).

The Zenn's appeal is emotional, ecological and financial: It's silent, emits no pollutants and eliminates the need for $4-a-gallon gasoline.

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Mark Glover, (916) 321-1184.