Here's the understatement of the day: "ZAP is pleased to announce their largest order for consumer electric vehicles." That's how Zap! starts off their press release to announce a huge order - $79 million! - for electric vehicles from the Chicago-based Electric Vehicle Company (EVC). "Pleased"? Please. They must be dancing on the ceiling a la Lionel Richie.

Details - which model, how many, etc. - were not announced by Zap!, but we can do a little math: Let's assume the order is for variations of the Xebra (pictured), because no one needs $79 million worth of the the three-wheeled electric scooter Zap! makes. The Xebra costs between $10,000 and $12,000. Let's use $10,000 to make the math easier. Calculate it out, carry the two, and you've got a potential sale of 7,900 Xebras. That's a lot of electric vehicles, and the number could be higher because EVC would receive an eight percent discount if orders were filled within the next 12 months, Zap!'s CEO said in a statement.

You'll note I said potential sale up above. The release notes that the "order is subject to meeting the performance criteria of EVC and certain terms of ZAP." That's quite vague. We've pasted the release on the $79 million order after the jump and you can find more details there.

In other Zap! news, the company announced it will pant a tree for every test drive someone takes between Earth Day (Sunday) and April 30. Considering Starr says you can plant 200 trees for $25 (if memory serves), it isn't going to break Zap!'s back to plant these trees. But it's a good move and will make the air a little cleaner. To see if there's a test drive location near you, visit Zap!'s website and look for the "Dealer Locater."

[Source: ZAP]