Electric Vehicles International Opens US Plant

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Electric Vehicles International opened up their new manufacturing facility in Stockton, CA yesterday. EVI will design and assemble zero-emission, all-electric, medium-duty delivery vehicles and light-duty vehicles using EVI electric motors and controllers made at the location. The Stockton location will also serve as the company’s world headquarters, previously located in Mexico. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger participated in the opening ceremonies.

The medium-duty vehicles are being produced in partnership with Freightliner Custom Chassis and EVI plans to ship 1,000 of the all-electric trucks in 2010. The vehicles will cost $120,000 to $180,000 and have ranges of 60, 80 and 115 miles depending on the size of the lithium-ion battery pack chosen. The company also plans to enter the plug-in hybrid business, and possibly perform electric conversions of school buses and port equipment as well. Learn more: Collisionconcierge.com

Textron Eyeing China Factory

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Last week a story from a Chinese business news service reported that Textron, manufacturer of E-Z-Go vehicles is looking into establishing a plant in China for the production of LSVs. The company would partner with a Chinese automaker and produce neighborhood electric vehicles powered by lead acid batteries. The plant would have the potential to produce 10,000 vehicles annually. The story noted that the Chinese market for NEVs could be ripe given government incentives and their desire for developing clean vehicles. There was no mention of exporting the vehicles to the US. Learn more: blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor

Discovery Energy To Be e-Ride’s Battery Supplier

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Discovery Energy of Vancouver has been named the exclusive supplier of batteries to LSV manufacturer e-Ride Industries. Discover Energy’s Clean and Green EV Traction Dry Cell Batteries will be used in the vehicles. The batteries are non-hazardous and maintenance free. For the transportation market e-Ride offers the exv4 and for the utility market the exv2. Learn more: EVWorld.com

Bannon Automotive To Manufacture Reva EV In Upstate New York

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Reva NXR EV To Be Produced In Upstate New York

Bannon Automotive of Freeport, NY has announced plans to manufacture the Reva Electric Car Company’s NXR electric vehicle in Onondaga County in upstate New York. The Governor of New York reported that assembly of the vehicles would take place in Clay in an existing 150,000 square foot building. Targeted for metropolitan markets as a city car, the two-seat Reva NXR will have a top speed of 50-55 mph, a range of 50 miles and be priced at $17,000. A four passenger hatchback version will sell for between $20,000 and $25,000. The plan is to have the vehicle on the market in the third quarter of 2010.

To start, the company will import the vehicle parts from India and assemble them in the US. Eventually, management expects to identify US suppliers and source 80 to 90 percent of the vehicle. The state is providing $3 million grant and $3.76 million in wage and tax credits, and federal loans and guarantees of $52 million are expected as well. Initially the plant will employ 100 people and up to 250 if maximum annual plant production of 15,000 to 20,000 vehicles is reached. Learn more: Syracuse.com

CT&T Reports $400M In Orders For 38,000 EVs

Posted on October 26, 2009 by Marc Cesare

At the Tokyo Motor Show last week South Korea based CT&T announced orders and distribution agreements worth $400 million for 38,000 of its e-Zone EVs. The e-Zone is configured as an LSV for the US market but can have a top speed of 44 mph. The vehicle’s range is 41 and 68 miles with the lead-acid and lithium in battery packs respectively.

The vehicles are expected to begin shipping next month with 27,000 bound for the US. Another 5,000 are headed for Canada, 4,000 for Japan and 2,000 for Taiwan. This production volume is expected to be fulfilled at the end of first quarter 2010. The vehicles will be delivered as complete units until CT&T’s Regional Assembly and Sales Systems(RAS) are developed. The company is currently looking in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas to locate two such regional assembly and distribution centers. Learn more: Greencarcongress.com

Golf Car Fleets Going Solar

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Course in Hong Kong and the Sebonack Golf Club in Southhampton, N.Y recently became the first golf courses to completely power their golf car fleets with solar power. Both fleets used Club Car’s SolarDrive system to retrofit their existing Club Car fleets. Management expects to reduce costs in the long-term through energy savings. The Hong Kong facility converted 205 golf cars and the club in New York converted 40 golf cars. The solar panels typically cost about $2,700 but can be eligible for tax incentives as well. they are supplied by SolarDrive of Denmark that has a marketing partnership with Club Car. Learn more: Golfcarnews.com

Comment: While capital costs for retrofitting may be an issue for some fleet managers, if savings can be realized in a reasonable amount of time this type of product will be another factor in the continuing trend towards more electric powered golf cars. Combined with the recent introduction of golf cars with AC drive and increased environmental concerns the trend towards electric could significantly accelerate. – Marc Cesare

Supply Chain News

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Marc Cesare

LG Chem of South Korea will be supplying lithium-ion batteries to CT&T, the South Korean based LSV manufacturer. CT&T last year won a contract to supply 4,000 LSVs to California police departments, and is currently looking around the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas for locations to build assembly plants. Learn more: Tradingmarkets.com

Zytek of Great Britain will be providing the Navistar and Modec joint venture with a 70kw electric powertrain for the venture’s commercial electric trucks being marketed in the Americas. Four hundred of the trucks will be produced in 2010 using $39 million in grant money from the US government. Learn more: Autoevolution.com

South Korean Government Targeting EV Market

Posted on October 13, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Last week the South Korean government announced plans to accelerate the development of the electric vehicle industry in their country. Revised plans now call for full-scale production of electric vehicles in 2011 instead of the previous target date of 2013. The government views the competition to develop the next generation of automobiles and grab market share as important to South Korea’s long term economic health.

A range of automobiles including hybrid, plug-in and fuel cell powered will be supported. The target goal is for South Korea to account for a 10% share of the global EV production by 2015. Ironically, the country does not currently allow EVs to be operated on any roads. However, as part of this initiative, the parliament is passing legislation to allow EVs including NEVs to be driven on the country’s roads. Learn more: yonhapnews.co.kr

REVA Exploring Upstate New York For Electric Vehicle Plant

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Reports are that REVA is close to finalizing negotiations for a plant near Syracuse. The plant would employ about 100 workers to start and be used to produce the REVA NXR all electric vehicle. The NXR has a top speed of 65 mph, a range of 100 miles and can be charged in 90 minutes using the vehicle’s fast charge option and a Li-ion battery pack. A lead acid battery pack provides a 50 mph top speed and a 50 mile range. REVA has been producing the LSV G-Whiz, most prominently in the UK and India markets. Learn more: Autobloggreen.com

France To Invest In Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Marc Cesare

The French government recently announced a plan to invest $2.2 billion to develop battery-charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The plan will also require office and apartment building developers to start including recharging stations in projects with parking lots. By 2015 the government expects 50,000 to 100,000 electric vehicles to be part of private or government fleets. Learn more: Wall Street Journal

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