The new battery system is a 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).
The lightweight lithium battery system is used in the ZapAlias, allowing it to drive up to 100 miles on a single charge. In China, ZAP’s new fleet vehicles use a similar system for its electric taxis and corporate vehicles based on the Jonway A380 SUV.
A sub-chassis array of more than 100 battery cells is networked with an electronic monitoring system, ensuring that temperature and voltage of each cell are in balance and that electricity is automatically rerouted should any of the cell voltages change.
Zap estimates lead-acid batteries have 300-500 cycles of discharging and recharging, compared to 2,000 cycles for lithium. The light-weight, high-voltage batteries are expected to provide customers with improved acceleration and handling of their vehicles.
Zap designed the lithium battery system to recharge overnight from any 110 outlet, just like a cell phone, or faster using a 220V recharging station.
