Electric Car Plan Sparks New Interest : Burbank: Officials seek state and federal money to convert an abandoned Lockheed plant. The industry could involve 20 or more companies.
Federal, state and Burbank officials said Friday they intend to seek funding for an ambitious proposal to use idled aerospace workers and plants, especially the big Lockheed factory, to turn Burbank into the hub of an electric car industry.
The center--which could be placed on property that Lockheed announced Friday it would make available for the project--could involve 20 or more companies and would be the first of its kind in the country, the officials said.
The proposal, still in its early stages, would have to compete with other projects for federal funds.
In addition to building vehicles that would produce less air pollution, officials who attended Friday’s meeting said the project would create jobs and provide a significant economic boost to Burbank, which has lost about 15,000 jobs in recent years with the departure of several industries and aerospace companies, including Lockheed.
The skills of unemployed aerospace workers in the region could be channeled into the electric vehicle industry, the officials said as they met at Burbank City Hall to discuss the proposal.
“This is an initial first big step,” said Burbank Mayor Michael R. Hastings following a meeting with Rep. Howard Berman (D-Panorama City), state Assemblyman Pat Nolan (R-Glendale), state Sen. Newton Russell (R-Glendale), Lockheed executives and representatives of other firms interested in the proposal.
“If all goes well, Burbank could set the standard for advanced electric vehicle technology for the country, if not internationally,” Hastings said.
Scientists, commercial firms and government planners have all cautioned in the past that the electric car industry faces a number of hurdles. The battery-powered vehicles have serious drawbacks, including a limited range, the high initial cost of conversion and slow acceleration. A number of auto and other companies have been trying for years to develop the lighter, more powerful batteries that the industry will need for mass acceptance.
Under the plan discussed Friday, Lockheed, which is relocating much of its operation to Palmdale and Georgia, would loan rent-free for two years a 65,000-square-foot building to Amerigon, a Monrovia electric vehicle firm that is coordinating an effort by several firms to build a prototype high-tech electric car.
“We have the facilities available, so we’re pleased to help with an effort that is not only vital to Los Angeles, but to the country,” said Stephen E. Chaudet, vice president of public affairs for Lockheed.
Amerigon had earlier considered using Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale for the project, but executives said Friday they preferred Burbank’s central location.
Hastings said that before the Burbank site could be used, the building--now unused--would have to be brought up to city building code standards. He said he would ask the city’s redevelopment agency to provide an estimated $100,000 for repairs so the structure could be occupied by CALSTART, a consortium of private companies coordinated by Amerigon.
CALSTART--a nonprofit umbrella group now being formed that will be composed of representatives from 20 to 30 companies--is seeking $20 million to $25 million to develop parts and prototypes of electric vehicles, Amerigon President Lon E. Bell said.
Berman, whose 26th District includes part of Burbank, said he intends to seek about $4 million in federal funds--and a matching sum from state government--to underwrite CALSTART.
The money would come from $12 million in matching funds set aside under a measure written by Berman last year. Those funds would go toward three or more consortia promoting alternative-vehicle industries. The deadline for proposals is May 27.
CALSTART is being formed largely to seek one of the grants, Bell said.
Russell said legislators will discuss what state funds could be made available.
CALSTART has already earned the endorsement of Southern California Edison and researchers from UCLA, and has been lauded in the recommendations of the Los Angeles County Aerospace Task Force as a means of giving Southern California an edge in the budding alternative-car industry.
The CALSTART-member companies would make separate components, including the car’s motor, its heating and air conditioning system and its specially designed tires.
“CALSTART will be managing the Showcase Electric Vehicle Program, which will take aerospace technologies from California companies and apply them to electric vehicle technology,” said Joshua Newman, Amerigon vice president of corporate development.
The group will also study the development of advanced mass transit systems such as electric buses, rail cars and “electric neighborhood vehicles,” Newman said.
Bell said CALSTART also hopes to form a research consortium with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, USC and UCLA to do advanced studies on power sources for electric vehicles. The schools have not yet agreed to participate, he said.
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