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| South Africa's 'zef' group, Die Antwoord |
SOUTH African rap group Die Antwoord is teaching the U.S. about
being “zef”, but they are not the first in the ’States.
U.S.-based Zev started building highway capable scooters in 2006,
which makes Zev the oldest highway scooter company in the U.S.
Zev has now launched the Zev T3-1 microcar.
Intended to provide the lowest possible transportation cost,
maximum hauling ability, and treated as a motor scooter for the lowest
registration cost, the tiny vehicle nevertheless has room and power to carry
three adults, although like in most two doors, the rear bench is tiny — 35
inches wide.
Zev boasts it is the only company in the world to use oil-cooled
hub motors inside the rear wheel. This extra lubrication radically increases
motor life and cooling for the longest possible life.
Hub motors (also called wheel motors) eliminate belts or chain
drives for more efficiency yielding higher range. This design gives us the
lowest total or moving part count for maximum reliability and lowest
maintenance.
All of the 13, 14, 16, 17 inch hub motors have an extra set of hall
sensors already built into the motor and pre-wired as a redundant standby
set.
The T3-1 has a four kilowatt transaxle electric, three kilowatt
continuous motor, powered by either a Base 72 volt nominal, 4,1 kwh silicate
battery or a 72 volt, 6 kwh, lithium battery for a range of 100 km at 45 km/h or
145 km at 45 km/h.
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| In the Western Cape, this Zev will not be zef. |
Unlike similar attempts at low cost micro cars, Zev uses glass
windshields with roll up windows, a radio, a 12-Volt charge socket, even a
sunroof. The front seat slides forward and tilts forward to make it easy to
enter to the rear seat.
Best of all, yellow underglow lighting for night time visibility
floats the Micro on a pool of yellow light coming from under the vehicle and
extending around it.
All this comes at a cost though, the introductory price with the
base silicate battery system is $5 490 (R74 840), for which price one can buy a
very nice used car down at Grassy Park, near where Die Antwoord learned how to
make tattoo using Bic pens.
