The ZENN - and the others, including the GEM cars, can go faster than 25 mph. However, the FMVSS 500 statute requires that any four wheeled electric vehicle that hasn’t gone through highway crash testing (*very* expensive & time consuming) be physically limited to 25 mph. The vehicles are capable of going ~35-40 mph; I know because I tested the ZENN prototype which has the same motor, but no limiter. Montana and I think Oregon now have changed their laws so they can go 35mph, for many obvious reasons.

The interesting piece is the “four wheeled” commentary. ZAP makes a very less stable 3-wheeled vehicle (well, imports from China) called the Xebra. Less stable, but 3 wheels? Okay, no speed limited required. Talk about loophole. The law was originally designed for golf carts, not real cars like the ZENN (it’s really a conversion of a city car used in Europe that had small diesel engines put in them, top speed… ~35-40 mph).

It’s still no EV-1, but for ~$11k you get an intensely cheap to run vehicle that requires effectively no maintenance. Around the city only, but for us & most folks that’s most of our driving.