Electric truck company lands in Stockton
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The latest entrant in California’s fledgling electric-vehicle industry officially opened its doors today.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other politicos were on hand as Electric Vehicles International unveiled its new U.S. production facility in Stockton — the town EVI now calls home after moving from Austin, Texas.
In partnership with Freightliner Custom Chassis Corp., a truck manufacturer owned by German auto giant Daimler, EVI plans to convert medium-duty delivery trucks to all-electric operation.
Although it has no orders in hand yet, the company said it expects to deliver 1,000 converted trucks by the end of next year.
EVI expects to employ about 150 people at its Stockton operation, and create 300 more jobs in California at suppliers and other businesses.
An EVI spokesman said the converted trucks cost between $120,000 and $180,000, depending in part on the size of the lithium-ion battery pack the customer orders. The trucks come with ranges of 60, 80 and 115 miles, depending on battery size.
Other companies are already pursuing plans to make electric vehicles in California. Tesla Motors, based in the Bay Area, is looking for a location in Southern California to build its Model S electric sedan, and Aptera Motors plans to build its three-wheeled 2e two-seater at a facility in Vista.
There are also several companies that specialize in converting hybrid cars into plug-in hybrids, which can travel a short distance under electric power.
EVI plans to jump into the plug-in hybrid business too, and is also looking at doing electric conversions of school buses and port equipment.
“California is the perfect location for electric-vehicle manufacturing,” said Ricky Hanna, chief executive of EVI-USA. “As the world’s leading location for adopting green technology and promoting sustainable transportation, California is where our customers are and where we need to be.”
-- Martin Zimmerman