Charleston Green Guide 13 VEHICLES, continued from Page 9
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creative transportation and technology, announced in June it would invest $21 million to set up an assembly and distribution center in Spartanburg and create 370 jobs over the next five years. “The support coming from South Carolina and the governor was much stronger than Florida, Alabama, California and Pennsylvania,” Parks said. The new assembly plant will be adjacent to the Spartanburg Community College’s Tyger River campus, and the school will work with the company to train workers and develop the company’s new plant. The facility will produce anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 units a year depending on market demands.
Target market Parks said CT&T and Current Electric Vehicles decided on Charleston for the first dealership because it is home to numerous communities where golf carts are already used for transportation, and because it is a tourist destination. Along these lines, the first vehicle Current Electric Vehicles sold went to a homeowner on Dewees Island and the company sold a fleet of vehicles to a car rental company. Since opening the Daniel Island showroom in April, a second location has opened on Kiawah Island and a third is in the works for Hilton
The e ZONE vehicles are 101 inches long, 57 inches wide and weigh just over 1,100 pounds. This model offers a range of up to 80 miles with a single charge. (Photo/Leslie Halpern)
Head Island. The goal is to have locations up and down the South Carolina coast. Fetter said they are targeting customers who “work, play and live within a 20-mile radius” and are interested in reducing their carbon footprint. “It’s about knowing what you want out of life,” Fetter said. “We want clean air, and we want Charleston to be a top 10 green city in the country.”
The c ZONE comes in a range of models for personal and commercial use. (Photo/Leslie Halpern)
Stimulus package
Future plans
The federal government is offering a 10% tax credit on qualified electric vehicles purchased before Jan. 1, 2012. In addition to this incentive, Current Electric Vehicles is offering a $3,000 discount on the first 300 vehicles it has in stock. “The regular price for models range from $14,000 to $25,000,” Fetter said, “And this discount is right off of the top.”
Currently, South Carolina law prohibits neighborhood electric vehicles like CT&Ts from going above 25 mph. But some states have passed legislation allowing them travel up to 35 mph and Park and Fetter hope South Carolina will follow suit. cr bj
Reach Allison Cooke Oliverius at 843-8493149.