The world of low-speed electric vehicles you can roam your neighborhood in has expanded over the past few weeks.
First it was the Toyota COMS one-seater in Japan, and now comes Greentech Automotive’s MyCar, which debuted recently at a leased former elevator plant in Mississippi.
As we recently reported, Greentech Automotive (GTA) is run by Terry McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He’s been able to use this influence to carry him further than other electric car companies coming off the starting block. He was able to pull in at the launch ceremony, for example, former US president Bill Clinton as well as Haley Barbour, former chair of the Republican National Committee.
The company is trying as much as possible to go the Made in America route, with plans in place to create 426 new manufacturing jobs and to support 7,400 more by 2014. As of July 2012, GTA said it had more than 840 employees enterprise-wide, and the company is on track to employ more than 900 people by the end of 2012.
GTA originally purchased the Hong Kong based company called EuAuto, who was behind MyCar, and relocated its operations and manufacturing to the United States. Bloomberg reported that even as GTA works away at the plant it is leasing currently after the relocation, plans are in the works for a second factory to be opened in the same state next year.
The specifications of GTA’s MyCar make for an interesting EV, even if it falls into the same neighborhood electric vehicle category as Toyota’s slow driving COMS. Expected to weigh in at around $15,500 (starting), this two seater reportedly has a range of up to 115 miles on a single charge and a top speed of 25 MPH, which is set as such because of regulatory restrictions.
MyCar, like other electric vehicles, can be charged either at a regular wall outlet or a fast charging system. Charging times range from three to twelve hours, depending upon what type of charging option is being used. The car has its share of stylish design touches, having originally been designed by Georgetto Guigiaro of ItalDesign.
Other features of noteworthiness in MyCar include recyclable thermoplastic body panels, a driving cost said to be 2 cents per mile, 40 inches of legroom, 7.5 cubic feet of storage space, a vehicle monitoring system located in the car’s dashboard, an energy recovery system to help extend driving range, a single speed drive/neutral/reverse transmission and an optional sound system.
Looking beyond MyCar, GTA has plans to expand its EV offerings in coming years. These include a micro pick-up and delivery vehicle, beginning in 2013, as well as a larger MyCar EV by 2014. These plans will depend, of course, on how well the first generation MyCar is received by consumers and the private sector.
