Category Archives: globalization

Electric Kandi COCO LSVs Hit The Market

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Electric Kandi COCO a new LSV for the US market

Electric Kandi COCO a new LSV for the US market

Solus International, the exclusive importer for electric Kandi COCO vehicles, reports that 100 vehicles have been imported for the US market. The marketing drive was kicked off at the 2009 NADA show in New Orleans in early January. The LSVs have a range of 50-60 miles and operates on a DC motor with a 72 volt system using lead acid batteries. The MSRP for the vehicle is $12,995.

The vehicles are manufactured in China by the Kandi Group which also produces ATVs/Quads, go-karts, UTVs, electric scooters and other vehicles. Most of these other vehicles are gas powered including a gas powered version of the COCO. Franklin Motorsports is a regional distributor for the LSV and powersports vehicles. Learn more

Comment: While in previous years we have seen LSVs manufacturers looking overseas to source parts or an entire vehicle minus the electric drive system, the latest trend has more overseas manufacturers trying to export their own complete vehicles to the US market. They are also adding to the list of LSVs that are available on the US market which, while still dominated by GEM, is becoming more competitive and seeing more marketing dollars being put into the category as a whole. It will be interesting to see how well these imports are received in the market. mcesare

TH!NK Planning US Based Production

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In the near future Norwegian-based electric vehicle manufacturer TH!NK is expected to announce plans for manufacturing a two seat city vehicle in the US. The company is hoping to take advantage of government funding for electric and hybrid vehicles. The vehicle would be available in mid-2010 if all goes according to plan.

Recently in financial difficulty, the company received a $5.7 million loan from the Ener1 Group which holds a majority stake in the battery maker for the vehicle. Learn More

Update: Initial production plans for first year production of 2,500 units. The company will be applying for low-interest loans from the US Department of Energy’s $25-billion Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVMIP) program. Michigan is among eight states being considered for the facility. Learn more

Baoya Vehicles Sold Through Dealership In Knoxville, TN

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Second Chance Finance Auto Sales, soon to be called Wildfire Motors of Knoxville is selling a Chinese manufactured LSV supplied by Wildfire Motors of Steubenville, OH.  The models, WF120-2C and WF120-4C, look similar to the Baoya electric vehicles produced by Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company of China. See earlier post

Wildfire Motors LSV Model WF120-2C
Wildfire Motors LSV Model WF120-2C

The vehicle has a 8.5 kilowatt, 120 volt, AC motor which runs on 10 105Amp maintenance free sealed lead acid batteries.   The top speed is set for 25 mph but can be programmed for speeds up to 50 mph.  At a speed of 30mph the vehicle has a range of 70 miles and can be charged using a typical home outlet.   The vehicle comes in two and four passenger versions as well as a utility truck version with MSRPs ranging from $14,618 and $15,325. There is also a 72 volt power system option available. Learn more about the dealer and Wildfire Motors

Phillipines Agency Approves Electric Jeepneys

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The Phillipine Land Transportation Office agreed to issue plate numbers for e-jeepneys, making them available for commercial use.  The vehicles were developed by Green Renewable Independent Power Producer Inc. (GRIPP), and the Dutch group Stichting Doen as part of their “Climate-Friendly Cities” project.  They vehicles will be assembled locally with the cooperation of Philippine Utility Vehicles Inc. (PhUV), a local group of vehicle parts manufacturers.  Powered by 12 six volt lead acid batteries, the e-jeeps can carry 14 passengers at speeds of 40km to 60km per hour.  Each vehicle costs about $13,000 (US) which is slightly less than the diesel powered versions currently in use. Learn more

More Smith Electric Vehicle News

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Smith All Electric Newton for the North American Market

Smith All Electric Newton for the North American Market

Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation, currently headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, is planning on producing all electric trucks for depot-based delivery fleets in North America. In the UK companies like Starbucks and DHL use the vehicles in dense urban areas.

The Newton model will be the first Smith vehicle available in this market. This is a class 5,6 o 7 vehicle with a payload of up to 16,280 lbs. While not quite a highway speed vehicle, the Newton is not a low speed vehicle either can reach speeds of up to 50 mph and has a range of over 100 miles depending on the battery option chosen.

The Newton originally used anywhere from two to six Sodium Nickel Chloride batteries produced by Zebra and each battery cost $16,000 and provided 22KW hours of power. However the company expects that most of the models sold in the US will use this Lithium ion type batteries. The 2007 version of the truck costs $150,000 with the Zebra batteries accounting for $64,000 or just over 40% of the cost. Additional batteries also reduce payload capacity.

Learn more and at Autobloggreen.com

Update:  See some video interviews from some people in the industry that drove the truck at Autobloggreen.com

Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company Claims Impressive US Sales

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BaoYa Electric Vehicle From China

BaoYa Electric Vehicle From China

Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company of China recently reported impressive US sales for their BaoYa vehicle. The company claims 500 vehicles were sold in 2008 and that orders for 2009 have already reached 4,800. The vehicle has a top speed of 50 mph (limited to 25 mph as a low speed vehicle) and a range of 90 miles according to the company. The vehicle is priced in China at $4,500 to $5,000.

Comment: I am skeptical about these sales figures for both 2008 and 2009. The 2008 figures would mean they outsold more well known LSVs like ZENN and Tomberlin and the 2009 figure would put them on par with GEM sales, all while going largely unnoticed in the market. The performance characteristics at that price point also seem optimistic.


Pursu Mobility’s Urban Vehicle Concept

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This story from greencar.com reports on an interesting three-wheel hybrid vehicle concept targeting the urban commuter segment.  The concept includes technology of Dutch origin that allows the vehicle body to tilt during turns depending on vehicle speed.  As a three wheeler it would be classified as a motorcycle.  The company, Pursu Mobility, expects a launch in 2010.

Urban Use Spikes Electric Scooter Sales In Canada

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Greenwit Technologies reports increasing sales of their Motorino electric scooter.  While not the usual type of vehicles covered in this blog, scooters do rub up against some of the vehicles we cover in the urban use segment and I think it is important to track this tangential market.

Steve Miloshev, company president, estimates that a 1,000 units were sold in 2008.  He recently made his first shipment to the US for East coast distribution and plans further expansion into Florida and California.  He attributes fuel prices, environmental concerns and the practicality of the vehicles.  In the article he remarks that some buyers are replacing second vehicles with the scooters and about 15% use it as their main means of transportation.  The scooters, which reach speeds of 60km/h and can travel up to 60 kilometres on a single charge, retail between $3,700 and $5,000. Learn more

Private Equity Firm Acquires Controlling Interest In Tomcar

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In February Markstone Capital Partners of Los Angeles acquired a controlling interest in Tomcar, which makes offroad vehicles for military and industrial applications.  Terms of the agreement were not released.

Last year Tomcar had received an investment from Markstone and had opened up a 85,000 square foot contract manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills, MI in partnership with German-based EDAG.  At full production the facility can produce just over 10,000 vehicles per year but initial production targets were for 2,000 vehicles in 2008 and 5,000 in 2009.  According to reports, the first vehicles rolling of the line were for a custom order and vehicles for the general market start this month.

The vehicles, which retail starting between $14,000 and $15,000, come in two-seater, four-seater or mini-truck versions.  They have applications in military, mining, security patrol, farm and ranch, recreation and tourism uses.

Total investment in the plant was estimated to be $9.5 million. Tomcar also has facilities in Israel and Phoenix, AZ.  Learn more

Electrovaya’s Maya 300 To Be First Li-Ion Powered LSV In North America

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Electrovayas Lithium-Ion Powered Maya 300

Electrovaya's Lithium-Ion Powered Maya 300

If all goes according to plan the Maya 300 will be available this summer in the US and Canada.  The LSV will be available with either a 12 KW or 18 KW Lithium ion battery pack, which will give the vehicle a range of 80 km or 120km respectively.  Produced by Electrovaya, the LSV will be priced around $20,000 and will be assembled in either Mississauga, Ontario, or Malta, NY,  the final decision is yet to be made.

The Maya 300 is based on the Chana Benni car which is manufactured by Chana International Corporation in Chongqing (province of Sichuan) with styling by Bertrone of Italy.  Learn more