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Zap's new lithium battery systems offer long life

Electric vehicle maker Zap introduced new lithium battery systems which will provide a significant value for customers by improving performance and offering a significantly longer lifespan.

Suzanne Ashe
Suzanne Ashe has been covering technology, gadgets, video games, and cars for several years. In addition to writing features and reviews for magazines and Web sites, she has contributed to daily newspapers.
Suzanne Ashe

Electric vehicle maker Zap has developed a longer-lasting lithium battery for use in its emissions-free fleet.

Zap's lithium battery systems will be used in several models of electric cars, trucks, vans, and scooters. The new batteries offer at least four times the life of standard lead acid batteries and give the vehicle twice the driving range.

According to the California company, its new battery system is the first turnkey, drop-in replacement battery system that fits in the same space as the G-31 lead acid batteries used in many of ZAP's vehicles, equipped with a BMS (battery management system) that increases reliability and extends range.

Zap estimates lead-acid batteries have 300-500 cycles of discharging and recharging, compared with 2,000 cycles for lithium. Drivers should see improved acceleration and handling of their vehicles with the lighter-weight, higher-voltage batteries. According to Zap, it designed the lithium battery system to recharge overnight from any 110-volt outlet, just like a cell phone, or it can charge faster when connected to a 220-volt recharging station.