In the first American study of its kind, UC Davis researchers today begin to assess the public's response to a fleet of city electric vehicles -- small, lightweight, quick cars that provide short-range transportation with zero air pollution.

Automaker Nissan is supplying 15 of its Hypermini electric cars to researchers at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, a global leader in helping industry and policy-makers plan the transportation future.

"Nissan is proud to associate itself with UC Davis in this study," said Shigeo Ishida, president of Nissan Technical Center North America, the U.S. research and development arm of Nissan Motor Company. "The information that is gathered during this project will help better determine possible uses for these clean vehicles."

For the next year, dozens of UC Davis employees will use the Hyperminis for work trips around the UC Davis campus and city of Davis. ITS-Davis researchers will record the users' impressions of features such as interior space; speed and range; charging convenience; usefulness compared with other options such as walking, cycling or driving a conventional vehicle; and safety.

Concurrently, the researchers will assess whether clean, efficient vehicles stimulate discussions in the community about issues such as air quality, climate change and energy supplies, and the role individuals and communities can play in resolving them.

"We want to know how users like the cars. We also want to listen to the conversations the vehicles prompt. What do people say about the cars? Do they imagine they would want such a vehicle? What do they imagine such vehicles do to their own travel, their town and their world?" said Ken Kurani, a research engineer at the Institute of Transportation Studies.

Kurani and ITS-Davis research anthropologist Tom Turrentine are the study's lead investigators. They specialize in consumer response to new transportation and communication technologies.

In response to federal and state environmental regulations, all major automakers are designing cars that produce less pollution and reduce dependence on oil. ITS-Davis helps those efforts with technological expertise and market evaluations, and by educating the transportation experts of the future.

So far, the cleanest vehicles developed have been zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs) powered by batteries. Similar in size and performance to conventional American cars and trucks, "full-function" EV models include the Nissan Altra EV, GM EV1, Honda EV PLUS, Toyota RAV4-EV, DaimlerChrysler Epic minivan, Ford Ranger EV pickup truck, and Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck.

Those EVs require big, expensive batteries. They support commuting on the freeway and around town and boast excellent acceleration and the convenience of home recharging -- but their cost is greater than a comparably sized gasoline vehicle. Automakers are currently considering whether they will support the releases of a significant new quantity of "full function" EVs.

Many automakers are also evaluating smaller, lighter, shorter-range vehicles using less expensive batteries. In the city electric vehicle class, Nissan has developed the Hypermini and has put them to use in car-sharing programs in Japan. Still another class of electric cars, neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), offers smaller, lower-speed EVs for use on streets with 35 mph speed limits or less. Companies are currently marketing NEVs.

City EVs like the Hypermini offer an option between the larger, full-function EVs and the small neighborhood EVs.

Kurani says, "Automakers want to know, where in America can you sell small, two-seat vehicles that don't travel at highway speeds? We would add, what changes to the vehicle might dramatically alter its markets? And how do these vehicles change how we talk and think about travel, lifestyle, community and the environment?"

These are the types of questions the new study should help answer.

The Hyperminis will surely turn heads, even in Davis, where people are commonly seen using all manner of conveyances, from motorized skateboards to double-decker buses. The vividly colored, two-seater Hypermini provides a new look for U.S. consumers, with smaller wheels and a hatchback design. At 5 feet tall, its roof reaches chin-level for most people.

Built of lightweight, recyclable aluminum and recycled plastic, the Hypermini weighs 1,852 pounds and carries up to 344 pounds. Its lithium-ion batteries power the car for 40 miles around town and recharge in four hours at a 220-volt recharging station. Top speed is 62 mph. It has four-wheel anti-lock braking, dual air bags, CFC-free air conditioning, power rack-and-pinion steering, and tires that can run for 50 miles after a puncture.

Nissan Technical Center North America is providing the 15 vehicles for the study, plus most of the research funding. Other study sponsors include McWick Technology Foundation, Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District and UC Davis Transportation and Parking Services.