Category Archives: Market entrants

Tata Developing Electric Nano For Western Markets

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Tata Motors is developing an electric powered version of their Nano. The gas powered Nano will hit the Indian market later this year, and with a price tag of $2,000 will be the cheapest car in the world. However, for Western markets, the company wants to sell an alternative fuel vehicle. To this end, Tata Motors acquired a majority stake in Miljo Grenland Innovasjon last year. The Norwegian company specializes in electric car technology. The low speed electric Nano will be targeted towards urban and gated community market segments. Tata is also working with MDI Enterprises on a compressed air powered version of the car, which will also be a low-speed vehicle. Learn more

Wheego Announces Launch of Dealer Network

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Wheego recently announced the official launch of their dealer network.  According to the company’s press release, their first car, the Wheego Whip will be available in May of this year and they plan to have 50 dealers in place at that time.  Commenting on the dealer network President Jeff Boyd states,

These will be a combination of traditional car dealers as well as a new type of dealer who exclusively sells electric vehicles and combines several manufacturers such ZENN, ZAP, and MILES in one dealership.

Wheego is a division of RTEV which produces electric vehicles for recreational use under the Ruff & Tuff brand and vehicles for street use under the Wheego brand.

Chrysler Creates Separate Subsidiary for Peapod

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Peapod From Newly Formed Peapod Mobility, Llc

Peapod From Newly Formed Peapod Mobility, LLC

Chrysler recently created a separate subsidiary, Peapod Mobility, LLC, to market the Peapod, which had been under the GEM brand. The new company is headed up by Chrysler “brand guru” Peter Arnell who helped design the Peapod. The company is targeting the 20 something segment with the vehicle. Arnell recently told Brandweek,

You know how the Beetle was the vehicle of choice for the whole ’60s, the hippie revolution and everything? We’re hoping that this becomes the new-wave car for the younger set as well as addressing mom and her needs with her kids.

The company expects to deliver the first Peapod. a four-seater, in September 2009 followed by a two-seater later in the year and a utility vehicle in the Spring of 2010. Learn more

Comment: If they do produce a utility vehicle what will that mean for GEM which sells a large number of vehicles configured as utility vehicles. It seems like it would put the companies in direct competition. The other question is whether or not NEVs with their limited mobility will appeal to a younger and presumably more mobile market segment.

BG Autmotive Looking For Manufacturing Sites

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A local news story reports that Philadelphia based BG Automotive is looking for manufacturing sites in the Boston area including Bridgewater, Taunton, Fall River and New Bedford. The facility will be for mass production of their C100 neighborhood electric vehicle and employ about 150 people per shift. The company is looking for a site for a 60,000 – 100,000 square foot facility and is currently seeking funding.

Since the vehicle’s parts are imported and most of the activity at the facility would be assembly the company expects vehicle production could begin in as little as four months once a facility is found. The chassis and body of the vehicle are imported while components like the motor, controller and batteries are manufactured in the U.S. Delivery of the first vehicle is expected to be in April or May of 2009 according to the company’s website.

Another news source also states that

The company is planning to develop six facilities in the next 24 months for a total production of about 100,000 vehicles by year-end 2010.

I thought these latter figures were quite aggressive so I placed a call with BG Automotive and was able to speak with Barry Bernstein, the founder of the company.

He confirmed that the company is looking to develop six facilities with the ability to produce around 15,000 vehicles each annually. While our estimates of the LSV market size the market at less than 10,000 vehicles a year, Bernstein noted that interest in their vehicle has been higher than expected with over 44,000 people signing up on their website. No deposit is required to sign up initially but as the actual production date moves closer a deposit is required.

Bernstein also noted that the facilities will be designed to easily switch over to highway-speed electric vehicle production which is in the company’s long term plans. Besides Massachusetts, the Philadelphia based company is also looking to place facilities close to major LSV markets including California, Georgia, Texas, Northern Florida, Pennsylvania and the Tennessee – Kentucky area. They are applying for loan guarantees and other support from both federal and state agencies but will be able to scale down their facilities if they cannot garner this support. Bernstein expects to have more information on their site selection in about two weeks.

Tanfield To Form Joint Venture For Smith Electric Vehicle Production

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Tanfield is forming a joint venture with Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation (SEVUS) to produce electric vehicles for the North American market.  The UK based Tanfield is the parent company of Smith Electric Vehicles.  According to the post at greencarcongress.com

Tanfield will licence Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), brand and all existing sales and sales enquiries in North America to SEVUS, in exchange for a 49% equity stake in SEV US Corp and per-vehicle royalties. As a majority (51%)-owned US company, SEV US will be eligible for US government funding and other benefits.

Production of the vehicles is expected to begin in 2009.  Tanfield has scaled back from their plans to develop, on their own in the US, a major production facility  with a capacity to produce 10,000 vehicles a year.  North America remains the largest potential market for their commercial vehicles.

Valmet To Manufacture Luxury Golf Car For Garia

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Valmet Automotive has won a contract to engineer and manufacture a luxury golf car for Garia A/S of Denmark.  Production will begin in the third quarter of 2009 and the vehicle is expected to be on the market in 2009.

Garia Golf Car

Garia Golf Car

Total production is expected to be a “few thousand” per year in the next few years.  Valmet reports that it is investing two million euros and committing 50 people to the project.  A test fleet is already in use at a golf course in Denmark.  The electric golf car will be introduced at PGA Las Vegas in late August and then in the Middle East.

In April of 2008 Garia, which was founded in 2005 to build high end golf cars, opened sales offices in the U.S. with plans to have 15 to 20 dealers within a year.  The company is targeting the luxury golf car segment in Florida, Georgia, California and Arizona.

Valmet has previously produced vehicles for Porsche and recently won a contract to produce the Fisker Karma hybrid vehicle.  Learn more

UTV Market Still Attractive

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Despite the general downturn in the economy, the UTV (utility terrain vehicle) market is still attracting new entrants. Motorsport Aftermarket Group, Inc. recently announced its acquisition of DragonFire Racing, a leading supplier of aftermarket racing and performance parts for ATVs and UTVs.

Brian Etter, President and CEO of MAG said, “We are excited to continue our expansion into the Off-Road market with the addition of DragonFire Racing. DragonFire Racing, with its comprehensive line of performance parts and accessories, launches us into the attractive UTV segment.

MAG is a group of businesses that design, build and sell products for Street and Off-Road motorsport markets.

Korean Manufacturer Offers New LSV

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CT&T, a Korea based electric vehicle manufacturer, has developed the e-Zone EV low speed vehicle (LSV).

The vehicle comes with a 72 volt electric motor which can be powered by one of three battery pack options, flooded lead acid with a range of 35 miles or two different lithium ion packs with ranges of 45 and 75 miles. The company is establishing an assembly plant in Fiji which will be able to produce up to 10,000 vehicles annually. For North America, CT&T reports it is building an assembly line in conjunction with Royal Laser Mfg. in Toronto, Canada with an annual capacity of up to 15,000 vehicles and a projected start date in March 2009.

In the US the vehicle will be marketed as the CT Series Micro Car by T3 Motion. The company is targeting the public safety and private security markets and has contracted for 4,000 vehicles from CT&T. The deal is reported to be worth $50 million or about $12,500 per vehicle. The company reports orders for 100 vehicles already.

More from greencar.com

ZAP Introduces LSV Electric Truck

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ZAP recently announced the addition of the ZAP Truck XL to their line of vehicles. In a departure from their existing top sellers, the truck has four wheels and is classified as a low speed vehicle. The Truck XL has a payload of 800lbs, a range of 30 miles and can be recharged in 6 hours from a standard 110 volt outlet. Faster charging is available with an optional 220 volt upgrade. The vehicle is targeting industrial and utility fleets and has a MSRP of $14,950.

Growing Market Still Attracting New Market Entrants

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Electrovaya enters vehicle arena – Electrovaya which develops lithium ion batteries announced it will be producing their own electric vehicle, a two-seater with top speed ranging from 25-45 and a range up to 120 miles. It will be called the Maya-300. The company states that the vehicle could be ready for market by later this year. The initial target market is fleets and the price point is expected to be in the $20,000 to $25,000 range with a longer term price target of under $20,000.

Philadelphia steel wholesaler Barry D. Bernsten has formed BG Automotive Group for the purpose of producing electric vehicles. Plans call form importing 4,000 cars from Asia and installing batteries and electric motors in them at a local assembly plant. The initial vehicles will be low-speed vehicles with plans to upgrade the vehicles the following year to highway-ready vehicles. The initial retail price is expected to be $16,000. Targeting urban commuters, students and vacation homeowners.