About ZAP

World Champion.

ZAP Power Systems stated goal has been to build the world's "best electric bicycles" and power-assist systems.

In 1995, the ZAP Racing Team set out to prove it. They took on the national field, placing first in the two-wheel class at the American Tour de Sol in Boston, the largest electric vehicle rally in the country. From there they traveled to Akita, Japan to take on an international field of over 100 electric bicycle entries at the World Solar Bicycle Races. ZAP set two World Records on its way to placing first in all four racing categories, bringing home the title: World Champion.

In designing the patented ZAP Power System, ZAP engineers combined several innovations with breakthroughs in low-cost power electronics. The result is the lightest, most versatile power-assist system available anywhere. Capable of being installed on nearly any bike, its strong, ceramic and permanent magnet motor construction provides outstanding performance and endurance at a reasonable cost.

Proprietary design features like Auto Engagement, Regeneration and Multi-Speeds, make ZAP one of the most popular electric bikes in the world.

ZAP Power Systems, located in Sebastopol, California, is a company dedicated to alternative transportation solutions. ZAP stands for Zero Air Pollution. ZAP engineers are constantly at work finding safer, better ways of getting from Point A to Point B; ways that help people save energy. The Zap staff combines more than 50 years experience in the electric vehicle industry, working on such vehicles as electric cars, buses, commercial and recreational vehicles. The timing is right for electric bikes to open an entirely new transportation market for zero-emission electric vehicles. In the future, look for other fun, practical electric vehicles from ZAP!

Electric bikes (EBs) are a catalyst for the emerging electric transportation market. They provide a fun, low-cost method of proving the effectiveness of EVs. At the same time, consumers are waking up to the idea that EBs offer a serious alternative to internal combustion automobiles, motorcycles and scooters. In 1995, worldwide sales for EBs exceeded $200 million, makingit the most viable of all consumer EV markets as well as one of the fastest-growing transportation markets today.

Roughly a billion people own bicycles worldwide; most in developing nations where they are the only affordable alternative to walking. Until recently, the next step up from a bicycle was the higher polluting, two-stroke, internal combustion moped or scooter. Now, for a smaller investment, EBs can fill this emerging personal transportation niche. They can help people travel farther and faster with less effort. Since nearly any style bicycle can use the ZAP system, it is truly an invention that can change the world.

People like EBs for the money they save. They are a true human-electric hybrid vehicle, one of the most efficient means of transportation available today. Just a 4 cent charge of electricity is all you need for miles of silent, pollution-free, fun cycling. ZAP's Auto Engagement feature allows people to pedal freely, saving the power-assist for when it is needed.

Regeneration gives our bikes the ability to recharge the battery while coasting downhill or pedaling. Easy and inexpensive to maintain, all you need to do is plug your bike in after every use for years of trouble-free operation.

Bicycles are the transportation of choice for more than half a billion commuters worldwide. In the U.S., which has the lowest per capita bicycle usage, over 5 million people commute to work by bike daily. EBs offer a no-sweat alternative, making commuter trips easier while extending the commuter's cycling range. They also make trips to the local transit hub easier, allowing increased access to buses and trains. They can even be a fun, easy way of getting around the neighborhood. EBs could go a long way in solving urban gridlock, just the thing to get more people out of their cars and onto bikes.