GreenTech Automotive is to officially unveil its MyCar electric car in Mississippi today as the firm begins production.
The new two seat ‘NEV’ (Neighbourhood Electric Vehicle) and is expected to have a top speed of no more than 45mph in Europe, less, in its native US, where laws will restrict it to 25-35mph.
A launch ceremony today at the firm’s plant in Horn Lake, MS, is expected to be attended by former President, Bill Clinton-a close friend of the firm’s chief executive Terry McAuliffe.
According to the New York Times, the firm starts production with a focus on fleet and European sales, where the MyCar’s restricted range and speed are not expected to be such a hindrance. Early production saw a model delivered to electric car distributor, Greenabout, which is expect to purchase a sizeable percentage of MyCar production through 2014.
In an interview with the paper, Terry McAuliffe-a former Democratic National Committee chairman-said the company’s new manufacturing facility in Mississippi would generate 900 direct jobs by the end of the year, as well as others in the supply chain. Production could reach 10,000 cars in 2013- its first full year.
The model comes with a choice of two battery packs; one lithium ion giving the car a driving range of 115 miles, the other, lead acid with a range of 51 miles. The lithium ion car will cost $18,000 or $10,000 with a battery lease contract. The lead acid model will cost $15,000.
According to Bloomberg, pizza company, Dominos will be MyCar’s first customer, with around 20 franchise owners in the US expected to take delivery of electric car models.
The MyCar’s production is believed to have been funded largely through private investors with incentives from the state of Mississippi worth at least $10 million. Unlike other start-up EV firms such as Tesla and Fisker, GreenTech Automotive did not apply for federal grants.
Faye has been writing about cars and environmental issues since 2007. A suspected eco-warrior working on the corporate inside, Faye mainly likes the weird, quirky vehicles that show a distinct environmental advantage. Her ideal car has enough room to fit a bale of hay in the boot. When not working, she likes nothing better than to head out on her bicycle and explore the countryside.
bruce dp
There are many PR pieces on the Italian designed, China made MyCar, but for all that media push (trolling for investment dollar$) the product does not satisfy U.S. driving conditions that are already in place. If work, shopping, & leisure destinations were all accessible from 35 mph (or less) roads, where you could drive an nEV legally at 25 mph, then MyCar and all other the many other nEVs would have a large market share. But in most cases, either a highway, or an above 35 mph road or expressway is required to get from point A to B and back. This means that while this $10k Electric (likely the lower-cost/less range PSO4 lead-acid version price) is a good entry level deal, in those cases it would not satisfy the driving needs U.S. consumers have to contend with. Craigslist is littered with nEVs for sale. Not because there is something wrong with a nEV, but the buyer found it did not meet the above needs as much as their life demanded. It would be worthy of the buyer's time to bring up http://wmgta.com/ and get to know MyCar before any money is plunked down. % I am for Electrics and have actively supported the EV-cause since 1990 % But the consumer needs to ignore the bipartisan media hype, and do their homework before hand. {brucedp.150m.com}
July 06, 2012