Think Looking At Three States For Electric Vehicle Plant

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Indiana, Michigan and Oregon have made Think’s final list of states for their electric vehicle plant. The company is also in the early stages of applying for loans from the US government under what is believed to be the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing loan program.

Indiana could be the front runner among the states since battery manufacturer Ener1, which is a battery supplier for Think and owns a 31% stake in the company, will be producing the batteries in Indiana. Another Think battery supplier, A123 Systems, is located in Michigan. The weight of the vehicle battery packs makes shipping distance and costs a significant issue when deciding plant location. Learn more: Earth2tech.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

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

Flux Power Systems Targeting LSV & Golf Car Market

Posted on October 14, 2009 by Marc Cesare

Flux Power, a startup led by the co-founder of vehicle manufacturer Aptera, is targeting the LSV and golf car markets with their lithium based power systems. Flux Power’s products manage, monitor and charge lithium batteries. Flux Power products are designed to work with batteries from a variety of manufacturers to create modular battery units. A vehicle manufacturer or other customers could then combine units to create custom battery packs. Smart charging technology can be integrated as well. By increasing the efficiency of lithium battery packs and thereby lowering costs, the company hopes to penetrate markets currently dominated by lead-acid batteries. Products are expected to be available in November, 2009. Learn more: Earth2tech.com

GM Talking With SAIC About Selling Minitrucks In India

Posted on September 29, 2009 by Marc Cesare

GM is holding talks with their Chinese Partner SAIC Motor Inc. to explore selling Wuling produced minitrucks for the Indan market. The Wuling minitrucks are sold in China in 0.3 to 0.8 tonne versions. The Wuling offers GM a faster entry into the market since relatively few modifications of the existing vehicle platform and technology would be required. SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile is a joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation(SAIC) of China and Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd. Learn more: Wheelsunplugged.com

ZAP Distributing Electric Vehicles From Wuling Motors Of China

Posted on September 17, 2009 by Marc Cesare

ZAP distributes Wuling Motors electric truck

ZAP received the first shipment of small electric trucks from Wuling Motors of China earlier this year. To date approximately 100 of the vehicles, which are classified as LSVs, have been shipped to the US. Most of the vehicle is manufactured by Shanghai-GM-Wuling except for the transmission, battery, controls and motor. The batteries are provided by HOPPECKE Batterien GmbH & Co. KG and the vehicles have an AC motor. Besides ZAP, Green Go Tek also distributes the electric trucks.

Wuling is planning on rolling out their Smile-E micro car for the NEV markets such as gated communities and retirement areas as early as next month. The Smile-E will be distributed by Green Go Tek and Ruff and Tuff vehicles. Learn more: ChinaBizGov

AMP Control Of Oklohoma To Assemble & Sell Wheego LSVs

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Marc Cesare

AMP Control of Piedmont, OK has an agreement to assemble and sell Wheego Electric Car’s LSVs. According to Wheego management a significant factor in making this move was the sizable state tax credit for electric vehicles in Oklahoma. Wheego CEO Mike McQuary states that

…the Wheego Whip LSV qualifies for a state tax credit of 50 percent of the purchase price of the vehicle, which is $18,995, as well as a $7,500 federal tax credit.

A news conference on the agreement is scheduled for tomorrow Learn more: kfsm,com (5 News)

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