ZAP Hosts Electric Auto Association Chapter Meeting in December

ZAP Hosts Electric Auto Association Chapter Meeting in December

On Saturday December 13, ZAP hosted a monthly meeting for the North Bay Chapter of the Electric Auto Association. The Electric Auto Association is a non-profit educational organization for the promotion of clean, quiet electric vehicles (EVs) for personal transportation.

The Electric Auto Association (EAA) was formed in 1967 in San Jose, California. The EAA's mission is "to act as a public source of information about developments in electric vehicle technology, to encourage experimentation in the building of electric vehicles, and to organize public exhibits and events of electric vehicles to educate the public on the progress and benefits of electric vehicle technology.

Many EAA members are do-it-yourself mechanics that have built electric cars or converted gas ones to run on electricity. Still, many of them braved the rain and wind to hold their monthly meeting and see ZAP's new electric car manufactured in China at the ZAP Store and headquarters in downtown Santa Rosa.

According to the EAA's website, EVs are a clean, quiet alternative to conventional automobiles, which are powered by petroleum derivatives that, when burned, emit noxious gases into the environment. They not only keep our Earth cleaner, their use preserves the earth's natural resources. EVs are a smart and efficient choice for personal transportation. For more, click "Why an Electric Vehicle."

The event was organized by club president Nick Carter, who made news last year when he staged a protest at the California state Capitol in Sacramento to protest the recall of the Ford Think! electric car. The ever-resourceful Dr. Carter drove one of the last Think!s available to the meeting. He is renting the car from a place in the Bay Area, but must give it up soon when the lease agreement expires.

EAA has been working to expand the public charging infrastructure for EVs. Carter says that EAA has chargers available for local "forward-thinking" public sites which are willing to host them. To check for an EAA Chapter near you, see the National EAA Home Page at http://www.eaaev.org.