HOMEGROWN HEROES
VANCOUVER EV CAR BUILDER WINS AWARD AT CES IN VEGAS
Canadian auto manufacturer Electra Meccanica has been awarded the Automotive Innovation Award at the Consumer Electronics Show for its new Solo electric vehicle.
“It is an honour to receive the Automotive Innovation Award from IHS Markit for our all-electric Solo, the de facto electric car for daily commuters and the environmentally conscious,” said Jerry Kroll, CEO of Vancouver-based Electra Meccanica. “We are grateful for the recognition and welcome others to join us in our vision for a cleaner planet.”
According to Kroll, the single-seater addresses the needs of the nearly 80 per cent of Americans commuting to work alone in their personal vehicle with an advertised fullcharge range of 160 kilometres and a top speed of 220 km/h.
He added that Electra Meccanica recently signed a manufacturing contract with Zongshen Motors in Chongqing, China. The factory, which currently employs 18,000 workers building up to 4,000 motorcycles a day, is currently being tooled to build Solos for global distribution. Kroll hopes to sell 5,000 Solos in 2018.
Also in the works is an all-electric two-seater called the Tofino. Noted Detroit car designer Rod Trenne has sketched the concept and Kroll’s team, led by Henry Reisner, is working up a prototype.
Reisner’s company Intermeccanica was recently purchased by Electra Meccanica, but will continue to build the world-class, gasoline-powered Roadsters and Speedsters the company is famous for. They’ll even build you a battery powered one if you like.