CT&T Still Looking For Plant Sites

Korean neighborhood electric vehicle manufacturer CT&T is still looking for plant sites in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas.  The company plans to open 30 to 40 sales and assembly locations throughout the US eventually but has not yet broken ground on the first one.  Previously the company had announced orders for 4,000 of their vehicles for California police departments and another 27,000 bound for the US in the short term. Learn more:  PittsburghLive.com

Comment: It remains to be seen if these various plans and vehicle sales come to fruition.  I recently checked the SEC filings of T3 Motion, the exclusive distributor for CT&T vehicles for the security market segment, and their most recent quarterly findings indicated no significant revenue from CT&T vehicles.  I followed up with a phone call to T3 Motion’s CEO and founder Ki Nam.  He confirmed that there have been no significant vehicle sales and that they have received only a small number of vehicles.  They are currently working with CT&T to make some vehicle modifications to better meet the needs of the security market customer. – Marc Cesare

Discovery Energy To Be e-Ride’s Battery Supplier

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

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

Battery Developments and Implications for STOVs

The ongoing development of battery power holds significant potential for small, task-oriented vehicles (STOVs).  Most of the development and most discussion and analysis of battery development is in the context of powering on-road vehicles.  The crumbs off the table of this development process, however, could have a significant impact on market development of small, task-oriented vehicles.

STOVs are certainly not confined to electric power, but given the trend toward electric power in all but the off-road UTV (and derivatives) market–and that is coming, too–as well as the market drivers pushing toward electric, a focus on electric power is hardly unjustified.

In a presentation at the Industrial Utility Vehicle Technology Conference, I outlined four areas of product development that were needed to encourage market growth of the small, electric vehicle market.

• Greater range, moving from 30-40 miles to 100 miles;
• More power, deliverable through the adaptation of AC electric motors;
• Faster speeds, increasing from the upper limits now of 25 m.p.h. to the 40-45 m.p.h. range;
• Better ergonomic features, including all-weather driveability.

The ensuing years have seen improvements in all categories.  – Steve Metzger

For the full article see:  IUVMag.com

Sunpods Demonstrates Solar Powered EV Charging Station In San Jose

SP-300 SunPods EV Plug-N-Go™ Charging Platform

SunPods announced today the first public demonstration of their revolutionary SunPods’ EV Plug-N-Go™ Solar Powered EV Charging System. The world’s first transportable, modular, integrated solar powered electric vehicle charging station, ready to power up on delivery. The SunPods SP-300 EV Plug-N-Go designed specifically for companies, institutions and public agencies that need an instant solar powered infrastructure solution for on-road electric vehicles (EV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and electrical industrial utility vehicles. The SunPods EV Plug-N-Go deploys rapidly, building a lasting green power infrastructure solution for today’s electrical powered vehicles.

Learn more:  www.sunpods.com

South Korean Government Targeting EV Market

Last week the South Korean government announced plans to accelerate the development of the electric vehicle industry in their country.  Revised plans now call for full-scale production of electric vehicles in 2011 instead of the previous target date of 2013.  The government views the competition to develop the next generation of automobiles and grab market share as important to South Korea’s long term economic health.

A range of automobiles including hybrid, plug-in and fuel cell powered will be supported.  The target goal is for South Korea to account for a 10% share of the global EV production by 2015.  Ironically, the country does not currently allow EVs to be operated on any roads.  However, as part of this initiative, the parliament is passing legislation to allow EVs including NEVs to be driven on the country’s roads.  Learn more:  yonhapnews.co.kr

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

Oregon Governor Supports Electric Vehicle Manufacturers

Oregon’s Governor Ted Kulongoski is using a $100,000 grant from his Strategic Reserve Fund to support Brammo, Inc., a manufacturer of electric motorcycles.

The company plans to invest $51 million over the next five years to produce its all-electric motorcycle called the Enertia. That includes an $18 million headquarters and production facility in Ashland.

The governor also paid a visit to Barefoot Motors a manufacturer of electric off-road utility vehicles.  The company relocated from California last fall and started production in June at a rate of 10 vehicles per month.  Learn more:  Bizjournal.com

DOE Announces Funding Awarded For Clean Cities Programs

Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently announced the selection of 25 cost-share projects under the Clean Cities program that will be funded with nearly $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Under the Recovery Act, the Clean Cities program will fund a range of energy efficient and advanced vehicle technologies, such as hybrids, electric vehicles, plug-in electric hybrids, hydraulic hybrids and compressed natural gas vehicles, helping reduce petroleum consumption across the U.S.  Many of the projects include installing recharging stations for electric vehicles and  purchasing electric vehicles. One such project is The Triangle J Council of Governments’ Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs Initiative which is planning to purchase 56 NEVs with some of the funds.  Learn more:   DOE