Former Hyundai executive Young Gi Lee is bringing his start-up EV and battery company CT&T to America, a move that could create 2,600 jobs within five years and bring a reasonably affordable, if highly unusual, low-speed electric car to the U.S.
CT&T is a leading EV provider in its native state of South Korea, and unlike many companies clamoring for a share of the plug-in pie, it manufactures its own batteries. The company plans to build the e-Zone (pictured) and c-Zone in the states through its new subsidiary, CT&T United. They'll cost between $8,000 and $16,000.
The long-term goal is to establish an R&D facility along with an EV and battery manufacturing operation that could employ as many as 10,000 people by 2014. The company, which hopes to offer a highway-legal EV, is considering locations in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama or California.
"We are accelerating our plans to become a major investor in zero emissions vehicle technologies in the U.S.," Lee said in a statement.
Lee founded CT&T in 2002. The company has developed its battery tech alongside bigger firms like SK Energy, Sebang, EIG Corporation, LG Chemical Corporation, FCP, and Samsung.
The plan is to build lead-acid, advanced lead-acid and lithium-polymer batteries in the U.S. and use them in four drivetrains -- City Drive, Mid-Speed, High-Speed and Utility -- offered in either the e-Zone or c-Zone.
The two-seat e-Zone looks like the bastard child of a Smart and a Jeep Wrangler. Its got a fiberglass body and an aluminum frame. Power comes from a 72-volt AC motor, and top speed is limited to 25 mph. The company claims the car has a range of 35 miles with lead-acid batteries and up to 75 miles with lithium-polymer batteries. The company recently showcased it at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and the EV is currently being assembled at 10,000 units annually in Fiji where it's used by various tour companies as a site seeing vehicle.
The c-Zone, on the other hand, is built more like a golf cart but with a fifth seat. Just 12 months after its launch, the the car captured 35 percent of the domestic market in Korea, according to EV World.
Photos: CT&T
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