Bannon Automotive To Manufacture Reva EV In Upstate New York

Reva NXR EV To Be Produced In Upstate New York

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

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

Lightning Motors Set To Enter Small Electric Vehicle Markets

Lightning Motors founded by Richard Hatfield and a small group of associates from Silicon Valley announced their entry into the electric motorcycle market by producing the fastest production electric motorcycle in the world.  The pre-production prototype achieved a top speed of 267.776 kph (166.388 mph) during the SCTA World Finals at the Bonneville Salt Flats.   The company has prototypes for a less powerful motorcycle, a motor scooter, an ATV/UTV and other sport and utility vehicles in its pre production development program.  Learn more:  Passionperformance.ca

Wheego Announces LSV To Full Speed Vehicle Trade Up Program

Last week Wheego Electric Cars announced their trade-up program that will allow customers to trade up their Wheego Whip LSV for Wheego’s Full Speed Vehicle (FSV) that is expected to launch in 2010.

Anytime within 24 months of their purchase of the Wheego LSV, a customer may trade up their Wheego LSV for a full speed Wheego (when available) and receive a trade-up credit of 50% of the original purchase price of their LSV toward the purchase of a full speed Wheego.

Any Federal or State tax credits that the customer received on their purchase of the LSV or on a new full speed car are theirs to keep and are not deducted from the trade-up value.

If the company can meet their price points for the FSV, the cost of the vehicle becomes quite attractive with the currently available federal tax credits.  The company provided the following trade up example.

Example (for illustration only; prices may vary):
Customer purchase price of Wheego LSV: $22,000
Fed Tax Credit: -$7,500
Net customer price for LSV: $14,500

Customer sample purchase price of Full Speed: $30,000
Wheego LSV Trade-up allowance: -$11,000
Fed Tax Credit: -$ 7,500
Net customer price for Full Speed Wheego: $11,500

As you can see in the example, a customer would end up spending more for the LSV than the FSV. The total cost to obtain the FSV in this example is $26,000, which is quite attractive for a full speed electric vehicle, and you get the use of an LSV for awhile. – Marc Cesare Learn more:  PRweb.com

Supply Chain News

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

Federal Tax Credit Appears To Be Significantly Boosting LSV Sales

Based on stories from around the country, the federal tax credit for new plug-in electric vehicles purchased during 2009 is providing a significant boost to LSV sales. The tax credit is included as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (EESA) and is credit of $2,500 to $7,500 for a four wheeled vehicle that draws propulsion using a rechargeable battery with at least four kilowatt hours of capacity. The base credit is $2,500 and increases depending on the size of the battery pack.  An additional $417 is added for each kilowatt hour above four kilowatts hours.  For many LSV this equates to a tax credit of roughly $4,000 to $6,000 depending on the brand of LSV and the battery pack option chosen.

A Tomberlin dealer in Oklahoma has reported a “dramatic” increase in sales, Bad Boy Buggies is hoping to launch their street legal vehicle shortly to take advantage of the tax credit fueled demand and in a recent story out of South Carolina a dealer reported a sales jump from 10 to 60 vehicles per month because of the tax credit.  South Carolina adds a state tax credit equal to 20% of the federal tax credit and Oklahoma adds a 50% tax credit for electric vehicles.  In addition, the major LSV manufacturers are all prominently touting the tax credit on their websites, often with the specific tax credit available for each model.  Learn more:  SCNow.com

REVA Exploring Upstate New York For Electric Vehicle Plant

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

Navistar Presents Electric Truck

Navistar Commercial Electric Truck

Navistar Commercial Electric Truck

Navistar recently unveiled their electric truck to Congress.  The company received $39 million in grant money in August from the US Department of Energy to develop the vehicle as part of a battery and electric vehicle development initiative.  Navistar expects to build 400 of the commercial trucks in 2010.  Targeted for light-duty stop and go applications such as intra-city delivery, the company expects to be producing thousands of vehicles as the market grows.  Learn more:  Autoevolution.com

Arcimoto Reveals Three-Wheeled Electric Pulse

Electric Powered Arcimoto Pulse
Electric Powered Arcimoto Pulse

Arcimoto of Eugene, OR recently revealed their three-wheeled electric vehicle, the Pulse.  The vehicle seats two, has a top speed of 55 mph and a range of 50 miles that can be expanded to 100 with a larger battery pack.   The vehicle is expected to be available in the fall and the company is currently taking $500 deposits to reserve a vehicle, of which $450 is refundable if you don’t like the vehicle when it becomes available.  The Pulse is expected to retail for under $20,000 with the company reporting a target price of $16,000. Learn more:  Goodgreencars.com

Electric Vehicle Manufacturer CT&T To Open Plants In Pennsylvania

CT&T LSV

CT&T LSV

Korean electric vehicle maker CT&T plans to open manufacturing and distribution facilities in the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas.  The company will be making LSVs, which retail for about $12,000, at each of the locations.  The company expects to employ about 200 people at each facility.   In Philadelphia the company is looking at locations along the Delaware river and in Pittsburgh they have toured five sites in around the city.

CT&T’s long term strategy is to open 40 regional assembly and sales  systems in North America as they target city and municipal fleets in particular.  They currently have a contract to supply California police departments with 4,000 vehicles for use in parking enforcement.

Learn more:  SOAWorldMagazine