Zero emissions, no noise was the promise of the ZENN Low Speed Vehicle (LSV), produced by the ZENN Motor Company of Toronto between 2006 and 2010. A rare pre-production model is on display to the public in the Engineering 5 lobby until mid-January. It was brought to the university by Mehrdad Kazerani, a Waterloo professor of electrical and computer engineering, whose research team will be using the vehicle after the exhibition ends. The ZENN is a fully functional, two passenger, front wheel drive, electric vehicle that was produced at an assembly plant in Saint-Jerome, Quebec. With a top speed of 40 km/h, and a range of 50 to 80 km per charge, the LSV was marketed primarily to urban consumers. The vehicle’s drivetrain is an electric motor located between the front wheels. Energy is stored in six industrial-grade lead acid batteries, two located up front under the hood and four in back behind the rear wheels. Charging is provided from a standard 120V outlet, taking four hours to reach 80 per cent and eight hours for a full charge.
Monday, December 12, 2011