Pimp that electric vehicle

The Times John O'Dell reports that some Northern California firms are trying to create high-performance and ever Hummer-like electric cars:

Environmentally friendly cars don't have to be slow and stodgy. ZAP, a Santa Rosa, Calif.-based importer of electric scooters and a small, short-distance electric car, aims to launch a 155-mph all-wheel-drive electric sport utility vehicle next year. If it comes to market, the $60,000 ZAP-X would join a select group of high-performance electric vehicles led by a two-seat sports car from Tesla Motors Inc. of San Carlos, Calif. The $92,000 Tesla Roadster is capable of accelerating from a dead stop to 60 mph in four seconds and has a top speed of more than 130 mph.A third Northern California start-up, Wrightspeed Inc. of Burlingame, has announced plans for a $120,000 electric roadster that boasts a zero-to-60 time of 3.8 seconds.

An environmental group also ranked what it considers the most earth-friendly cars on the road.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Bee editorial board is glad no more hybrids are being allow on the carpool lanes:

Carpool lanes were created not just to help clean the air but also to relieve congestion. The more that otherwise solo drivers left their own cars at home and took the bus, a van pool or joined two or three others in a carpool, the more congestion was eased for everyone else. These real carpoolers were justifiably rewarded by being allowed to zip along in relatively unclogged special lanes. By opening the lanes to solo drivers of hybrid vehicles, legislators degraded the carpool ethic itself. As one driver told the Los Angeles Times recently, "This is why I spent over 25 grand on a car -- just to get the (carpool lane) sticker."

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It’s great that more people are focusing on making better environmental choices. Plus technology is making it more economical now, and that’s what people really notice. Wind energy, solar power, hybrids and zap EV’s, our choices are good. There are now electric cars being sold everyday, you just plug it into a regular power outlet. When people test drive them they say it’s far more fun to drive an EV.