ZAP, Advanced Battery Technologies increase electric vehicle range

Electric vehicle developer ZAP and its strategic partner Advanced Battery Technologies, Inc. said a ZAP low-speed vehicle retrofitted with lithium polymer batteries has a range of 150 km (90 miles), or about three times the range of the same vehicle without the new batteries.

"This test shows promise, but we believe we can still do better," said Advanced Battery Chairman Zhiguo Fu. "Our engineering team is continuing to work on additional solutions to combine our advanced lithium polymer technology and ZAP's electric vehicles."

ABAT's batteries combine high-energy chemistry with state-of-the-art polymer technology, overcoming many of the shortcomings associated with other types of rechargeable batteries.