ZAP (OTC-BB: ZAAP) Moves to Complete Jonway Acquisition

Dec,21, 2010

Electric vehicle pioneer ZAP (OTCBB: ZAAP) completed its initial down payment of US$10 million towards the 51% acquisition of Jonway Automobile. Jonway Automobile plans to complete an audit of its financial statements by December 31, 2010 and thereafter, ZAP intends to finalize the acquisition with the payment of the US$19 million balance of the US$29 million purchase price.

ZAP Jonway factory

Jonway Automobile reported sales of over 4,000 gasoline vehicles through the end of September 2010, and projects total sales of over 6,500 vehicles by December 31, 2010. Jonway Automobile reported that wholesale sales prices of the vehicles averaged US$10,000. Jonway Automobile projects year-end revenues for 2010 to increase more than 40% compared to last year with its current gasoline vehicle product line. Jonway Automobile reports that it is debt-free, cash flow positive and able to finance its gasoline product revenue growth at the same rate for 2011.

Under the new equity structure, Jonway Automobile will be 51% owned by ZAP, and 49% by its original parent Jonway Group. This equity ownership transfer was approved by the Chinese government on October 3, 2010. Jonway Automobile plans to ramp up production of the A380 SUV electric vehicle (EV) in the first half of 2011 together with ZAP’s Alias EV by third quarter 2011 at their Sanmen, Zhejiang factory. By combining Jonway Auto’s ISO 9000 manufacturing facilities, capable of delivering over 50,000 vehicles per year, with ZAP’s EV technologies, products and expertise, the company aims to lead the emerging EV fleet market in China.
Alex Wang (Wang Gang) was recently appointed by ZAP’s board to be Co-CEO of ZAP. ZAP Jonway will expand the market to sell both gasoline and EVs from China to rest of the world.

ZAP Jonway recently showcased its EV product line at the 25th Electric Vehicle Symposium in Shenzhen to launch its EV sales in China targeting volume production delivery by the first half of 2011.

Focused on delivering quality products, Jonway started to sell its A380 SUV product line last year, offering quality and value incorporating a Mitsubishi power train. ZAP Jonway plan to enhance manufacturing facilities to produce electric vehicles in Jonway’s 3.6 million square feet of factory facilities on the 141 acres of land in Sanmen, Zhejiang Province, China.

Gasoline prices in U.S. is likely to hit season high. Will lithium become the new oil?

Dec,22,2010
Crude oil prices closed above $90 a barrel for the first time in two years, raising the likelihood that U.S. gasoline prices will reach an average of $3 a gallon for the first Christmas ever.

California already far surpassed that point this season — the average pump price was $3.28 Wednesday, according to the U.S. Energy Department. Experts said it's heading for $4 and more in parts of the state.

A gasoline price spike now would be even worse than it was back in 2008," said Stephen Stone, a 48-year-old computer scientist from Norwalk, because "the economy was booming then and people could afford it more."

Stone has already curbed his use of fossil fuels. He uses a Zap Zebra electric car for trips around town, but it has only a 40-mile range before needing a recharge. He uses a 2006 Town and Country van for longer drives.

Gasoline prices in U.S. is likely to hit season high. Will lithium become the new oil?

Lithium is predicted to turn into the most sought – and fought over – commodity on the planet according to the world’s industry sectors. China, Chile, Australia, America and many more countries are all investing to support the demand for lithium metal, which is set to grow as car makers increasingly look to lithium as a fuel solution.