"Model T of the electric car" in California

GRASS VALLEY, California – A couple of brothers who collect and restore antique cars are calling their new ride the "Model T of the electric car," according to columnist Dorothy Talan-Quaid of The Union newspaper in Grass Valley.

"Ev and Gus know about Model Ts and other antique cars: they own and have restored a number of vehicles and belong to a few car clubs, including Nevada County Porsche Owners Group and the Roamin Angels," writes The Union.

The Ford Model T went into asembly line production in 1908. (Library of Congress)Ev and Gus bought themselves a bright red ZAP Xebra truck. Can you find a better name for an electric vehicle driver than Ev?

At ZAP we have heard the Xebra called many things, but calling it the Model T could be perhaps the highest praise you can say about any car. The Ford Model T was named the world's most influential car of the twentieth century by an international poll. Henry Ford is perhaps the best-known automotive pioneer because he is credited with the first automobile assembly line that revolutionized the way cars are built. The Model T created a new standard in economy for automobiles that few could match. It certainly wasn't the best car on the market, but as Henry Ford puts it, it was a "car for the great multitude" because it was designed to be practical and affordable, much like ZAP's approach with the Xebra.

You hear many electric car developers over the years with ambitions to build the 'Model T' of electric cars. Hats off to Ev and Gus of Grass Valley for their positive endorsement of the Xebra, although we may have to wait 100 years to see if the Xebra becomes as important to the history of electric cars as the Model T is for all cars. I wonder if the name Model Z is taken?

Xebra Production in the Shandong Province of China.