Textron Eyeing China Factory

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

ECO Motor Car Company Enters 3-Wheeled Vehicle Market

ECM3 Prototype

ECO Motor Car Company, a Seattle startup, is introducing their ECM3, a three-wheeled vehicle that is classified as a motorcycle.  The gas powered vehicle with two wheels in front and one in the back has a 1.0 liter, 52 hp  engine and gets a reported 60 mpg.  The vehicle is built in China by Geely and weighs about 1,400 lbs.  The ECM3 is expected to be available in May of 2009 for $13,995 to $14,995 depending on options.  Learn more:  Autopia

ECM3 Prototype Interior

Electric Kandi COCO LSVs Hit The Market

Electric Kandi COCO a new LSV for the US market

Solus International, the exclusive importer for electric Kandi COCO vehicles, reports that 100 vehicles have been imported for the US market. The marketing drive was kicked off at the 2009 NADA show in New Orleans in early January. The LSVs have a range of 50-60 miles and operates on a DC motor with a 72 volt system using lead acid batteries. The MSRP for the vehicle is $12,995.

The vehicles are manufactured in China by the Kandi Group which also produces ATVs/Quads, go-karts, UTVs, electric scooters and other vehicles. Most of these other vehicles are gas powered including a gas powered version of the COCO. Franklin Motorsports is a regional distributor for the LSV and powersports vehicles. Learn more

Comment: While in previous years we have seen LSVs manufacturers looking overseas to source parts or an entire vehicle minus the electric drive system, the latest trend has more overseas manufacturers trying to export their own complete vehicles to the US market. They are also adding to the list of LSVs that are available on the US market which, while still dominated by GEM, is becoming more competitive and seeing more marketing dollars being put into the category as a whole. It will be interesting to see how well these imports are received in the market. mcesare

Baoya Vehicles Sold Through Dealership In Knoxville, TN

Second Chance Finance Auto Sales, soon to be called Wildfire Motors of Knoxville is selling a Chinese manufactured LSV supplied by Wildfire Motors of Steubenville, OH.  The models, WF120-2C and WF120-4C, look similar to the Baoya electric vehicles produced by Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company of China. See earlier post

Wildfire Motors LSV Model WF120-2C

The vehicle has a 8.5 kilowatt, 120 volt, AC motor which runs on 10 105Amp maintenance free sealed lead acid batteries.   The top speed is set for 25 mph but can be programmed for speeds up to 50 mph.  At a speed of 30mph the vehicle has a range of 70 miles and can be charged using a typical home outlet.   The vehicle comes in two and four passenger versions as well as a utility truck version with MSRPs ranging from $14,618 and $15,325. There is also a 72 volt power system option available. Learn more about the dealer and Wildfire Motors

Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company Claims Impressive US Sales

BaoYa Electric Vehicle From China

Shandong Baoya Vehicle Company of China recently reported impressive US sales for their BaoYa vehicle. The company claims 500 vehicles were sold in 2008 and that orders for 2009 have already reached 4,800. The vehicle has a top speed of 50 mph (limited to 25 mph as a low speed vehicle) and a range of 90 miles according to the company. The vehicle is priced in China at $4,500 to $5,000.

Comment: I am skeptical about these sales figures for both 2008 and 2009. The 2008 figures would mean they outsold more well known LSVs like ZENN and Tomberlin and the 2009 figure would put them on par with GEM sales, all while going largely unnoticed in the market. The performance characteristics at that price point also seem optimistic.