Wired started it, Metafilter broadcast it and numerous sites are talking about a new downer review of the Zap company and its range of electric cars. Or rather the lack of a range. It’s all a bit sad really, since all we’re waiting for is a half decent electric vehicle which makes commercial, consumer and technical sense.

Funnily enough, in amongst all the furore I stumbled across an electric car maker which looks like it’s actually getting somewhere (i.e. they’ve actually sold 250 cars) albeit of the slow and legally crippled type. Zenn Cars, a Canadian outfit, have a vehicle which looks half decent and seems to be fairly reasonably priced. See the video here.

What’s even more interesting are reports that the company plans on releasing a ‘proper’ highway legal electric vehicle next year called the cityZenn, based around EEstor technology. We’re talking 80 mph and 250 mile range, rechargeable in less than 5 minutes. Yeah yeah, I know, believe it when we see it, but hey, these guys seem kosher and have actually invested substantial money in the EEstore company. We’ll see, eh?

Secretive ultracapacitor firm EEStor, backed by Zenn and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, is developing a solid-state electrical energy storage unit which it says will be longer lasting, lighter, more powerful, and environmentally friendly than current battery technologies. “EEStor’s technology is a tenth the weight and volume of lead-acid batteries, and significantly smaller than the most advanced chemical batteries today,” said Clifford. Zenn said EEStor has publicly committed to commercialization in 2008, and that EEStor’s first production line would be used to supply Zenn. Zenn holds 3.8 percent of EEStor after investing $2.5 million in the ultracapacitor company in April. Kleiner Perkins invested a reported $3 million in EEStor in 2005.