Los Angeles-based start-up, Hybrid Kinetic Motors (HK Motors) has announced plans to construct a new green-vehicle manufacturing plant in Baldwin County, Alabama in the US. The firm has set an ambitious target of offer a full-range of hybrid vehicles with production set to start by 2013.
HK Motors Chairman, Yung Benjamin Yeung cited the strength of Alabama’s economy and the quality of its workforce as the main reasons for the board’s decision to locate its primary manufacturing operations in Alabama. Initial production of all model lines will see a capacity to produce a massive 300,000 vehicles, while creating more than 5,000 jobs, taking Alabama to the fore of green car production.
Perhaps even more ambitious is HK Motors’ aim to be the first large-scale manufacturer of environmentally-friendly vehicles, beating established mainstream rivals to make the US once again, a world leader in car production. Through the use of a unique hybrid engine that employs compressed natural gas (CNG), electricity, and gasoline, the company expects its vehicles to achieve record fuel efficiency at affordable prices.
“Our cutting-edge multi-fuel hybrid powertrain system delivers excellent performance while reducing CO2 emissions to exceed Euro-2012 and future EPA guidelines,” Chairman Yeung said.
By utilizing natural gas, HK Motors says it is tapping into an abundant, exceptionally clean, and surprisingly affordable resource.
Alabama Governor Bob Riley welcomed the plans: “It didn’t take long for Alabama to become a leader in the automotive industry. Now as America and the world begin making a historic transition to a green economy, we look to make Alabama a leader in the production of next-generation, clean-tech automobiles,” he said.
