Although electric cars are portrayed in the media as sensible, energy-efficient saviors of the environment, they are never really seen as ‘sexy’. Most electric cars tend to look like a cross between a subcompact and something out of a science-fiction movie. Realizing that it is more difficult to sell boring cars than it is to sell exciting cars, some manufacturers are retooling their style efforts when it comes to presenting electric vehicles. Not only that, but they are giving these same vehicles a sportier edge. A perfect example of this new line of thinking can be seen in the
Dodge ZEO.
ZEO stands for ‘Zero Emissions Operation’, but the snappy acronym disguises the ecological aims of the vehicle and promotes instead the performance image of this unconventional hatch. That image isn’t just found in the name, either: the ZEO drives 268 horsepower from its electric motor to the rear wheels, needing less than 6 seconds to launch a driver from 0 to 60 miles per hour. Rolling on 23 inch wheels, the ZEO will tear up the tarmac for 250 miles before needing a re-charge – perfect for city driving, which is where electric vehicles usually shine. Range, however, has always been limited by battery technology, and taking the ZEO on a longer trip would of course require some considerable pit-stop planning. 250 miles of spirited driving would still amount to at least an entire day’s worth of fun on a road course or track, which is in line with Dodge’s projected market for this vehicle.
The ZEO is definitely no slouch, and
Dodge designers made certain that the interior and exterior styling of the car reflected the attitude of the high-horsepower motor. A glass ceiling that incorporates both the windshield and the rear glass creates a large, contiguous sunroof for driver and passengers. Rear passengers are kept snug during high-speed maneuvers with individual buckets, as the 2 + 2 has a center console bisecting the entire length of the passenger compartment. The ZEO also borrows a few pages from the
Lamborghini playbook, with scissor doors which
Dodge claims make the car ‘easier’ to get into. That may or may not be true, but they certainly do up the exoticness factor by a considerable margin. The hub of the steering wheel is stationary while the wheel itself rotates around it, and the cabin appointments look as though they have been sculpted from the same piece of material instead of pieced together. Perhaps the only nod to its electrical operation (aside from the almost completely silent engine) is the glowing front grille.
Dodge feels that the market is ready for an electric muscle car, and given their success with standard gasoline-powered muscle,
Dodge probably understands this demographic more than anyone else. What remains to be seen, however, is if those same buyers who love to zip up and down the quarter mile also care about saving the planet.
Dodge would like to think that by wrapping power and ecological consciousness in an attractive-looking package they will be able to lure away some of the Neon SRT-4 crowd. If the ZEO proves to be a hard sell to dealers, then
Dodge is prepared to use the chassis and platform as the basis for a gasoline-engine vehicle, either for the domestic market or for export overseas where smaller cars have more curb appeal. Will parent company
Chrysler take the easy road and wedge a 4 cylinder into the ZEO or will they bite the bullet and be one of the first to market with an exciting electric sports car? Someone has to take that initial step to show consumers that the future is definitely to be found inside a battery, and with the ZEO
Dodge is in the perfect position to do so.
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May 6, 2008, 8:45 am
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