The Kurrent, an electric vehicle manufactured by American Electric Vehicle, is under production in Wixom. Billed as the "anti-muscle car," the small car is attracting notice for its sharp styling and its affordable price tag, costing in the range of $10-14,000. AEV president Scott Thornton says the vehicle was designed in Italy about a year ago, and his company acquired the licensing rights to manufacture and assemble it here.
The Kurrent runs 40 miles on a full charge; Thornton points out that 80% of American drive less than 30 miles a day and that 80% of that tally is within less than 10 miles from home. The vehicle is legal on streets that have speed limits of 35 miles per hour or less, making it perfect for "neighborhood or community" driving, he says. 65 of the vehicles have been purchased.
Thornton says the company has received support from NextEnergy and the Michigan Economic Development corporation. They have hired many of their employees through the Michigan Works! program. "We've hired a group of trades-people and craftsmen that know the business of assembling a vehicle. These guys are highly skilled and we are thrilled to be able to play at least some small role in getting them back to work."
AEV currently employs 32, 26 of which work in vehicle assembly. That number has doubled since the beginning of the year. Thornton explains that the number of assemblers will grow in stages. "Right now, we are capable of building 50 cars a month. Once we move over that, we'll bring in a crew that can build 100-110 a month. We'll grow a little bit, wait, then grown some more." He estimates there will be 50-60 assemblers by this time next year.
The Kurrent is available from authorized dealers across the country. Thornton says that AEV wants to add more, but are cautious about bringing on more than the company can handle supplying. "Our growth is very controlled at the moment." They are also working on the ability for customers to finance a vehicle purchase, although that ability already exists for fleet purchases.
Thornton says he sees a real market for plug-in electric vehicles. He points out pending federal legislation that would make the vehicles legal on roads rated up to 45 miles per hour and says that the cost to operate – 1.5 cents a mile – makes them attractive to consumers. He hopes to have sold 2,000 by next year.
Source: Scott Thornton, AEV
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh
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