News

CT&T United & MVP RV To Make Electric Cars In California

September 14, 2009 by Jeff Shepard

CT&T United, a South Korean company specializing in battery, electric motor and electric vehicle (EV) technologies, has signed a deal with MVP RV, a recreational vehicle company based in Moreno Valley, CA, to manufacture electric cars.

According to media reports, one of the MVP owned and operated factories near March Air Reserve Base will be converted to manufacture electric vehicles by a new company, MVP-EV. The new company is expected to employ as many as 2,000 workers. Currently, the venture is slated to hire approximately 120 workers.

The company expects to introduce the battery-powered vehicles in January 2010 after several months of refurbishing. The factory will be the only manufacturing center for CT&T on the West Coast, as well as its regional sales and service hub. Based on the demand, the plant is expected to manufacture 10,000 vehicles a year by 2011.

Since 2002, CT&T has been manufacturing electric vehicles in South Korea and China. It revealed plans to open operations in the US about two months ago.

The company currently has two models, the c-Zone, which resembles a golf cart with a fifth seat in the rear, and the e-Zone, which is reminiscent of the French-built Smart Car. The vehicles are priced between $7,000 and $17,000. The top speed for the vehicles is about 35 mph – thus the company has labeled the cars "neighborhood electrical vehicles."