In a Nov 19 press release revealed a new chapter in the history of electric motorcycle maker Green Vehicles: a new redesign of their Triac, the impending opening of their factory, and a new partnership with battery maker Leyden Energy. Additionally, on Nov 20 they held a public event at their new factory location and attendees had the opportunity for test rides in the original generation prototype Triac's.
While Green Vehicles has three vehicle designs, the Triac is their most well-known model. It is a three wheeled vehicle with most of the look-and-feel nature of cars, but by dint of having only three wheels it registers as a motorcycle. The Triac comfortably seats two people side-by-side, and has a small storage area behind the seats. It has front wheel drive, will comfortably go highway speed and they claim a 100 mile range. They have been developing the Triac for a few years and while they haven't gone into full scale production, a few have been sold to early early adopters.
The prototype vehicle at the public event was very nice, considering it's a prototype vehicle. It handled very well, even in tight maneuvers. It was powerful, and very comfortable. However, Green Vehicles revealed that they're developing a "2.0 Triac" that's majorly redesigned. It will have a higher voltage battery pack (over 300 volts, rather than 144 volts), use an AC motor, and have an advanced Vehicle Efficiency Data Assistant (VEDA) system on-board. The VEDA system is expected to link vehicle performance to the driver and surroundings resulting in energy savings. VEDA is designed to observe and learn so it can distinguish urban driving from freeway driving, and adjust the vehicle for optimum performance at all times. They expect the system will give several small efficiency gains which add up to serious benefits.
The Mayor of Salinas, Dennis Donahue, was on hand to speak about the partnership and what it means for the Salinas valley. Most people will know that area as the source of fresh vegetables (spinach, lettuce, etc) but Mayor Donahue suggested that Salinas would never again be a "cost leader" in agriculture. He painted a vision where Salinas takes on more manufacturing in the expected green technology economy being developed in Silicon Valley just to their north. Green Vehicles and Leyden Energy are prime examples of Silicon Valley company in need of manufacturing.
Leyden Energy, a Fremont CA based battery manufacturer, has partnered with Green Vehicles to provide batteries and co-develop battery management systems. Leyden will co-locate their battery testing unit in the Green Vehicles factory space. "Leyden Energy sees great potential in partnering with Green Vehicles to address the needs of environmental and cost-conscious commuters," said Leyden Energy CEO Aakar Patel. "Our high energy-density, highly reliable battery technology is a perfect fit for efficient, lightweight automotive applications like the Triac."
Green Vehicles is a start-up electric vehicle company founded by Ehab Yousef and Mike Ryan after their ZAP dealership in Los Gatos failed. That failure featured prominently in a Wired Magazine article about ZAP, but also provided the seed of inspiration to launch Green Vehicles with the mission to build the best electric commuter vehicles in the world. Curiously, Ehab Yousef was not on hand at the public event and is not listed as a member of "The Team". The team does include many people who have 20+ years in automotive development in various companies.
The factory location in Salinas was chosen in late 2009, and is still today an empty room. Reports dating back to that time frame indicate the City of Salinas pledged $750,000 in loans to Green Vehicles, and friday's press release describes Salinas as "a backer" of Green Vehicles. They've also received a $2 million grant from the California Energy Commission.
The factory is located in a former Firestone tire factory. All permits have been secured and they expect to begin installation of factory equipment next month. They state that manufacturing of the Triac will start in 2011.
The target price for the Triac is $25,000 before incentives and tax breaks, a price which undercuts the price for all other electric highway speed vehicles. They're expecting to produce perhaps 2000 Triac's per year in 2011, and perhaps 6000 vehicles per year starting in 2012. Distribution will be through a dealer network and direct sales to fleet customers.
The question hanging over Green Vehicles and other small startup electric vehicle companies is, what chance do they have against well entrenched major car companies. Several vehicles are coming on the market from incumbent car companies possessing massive marketing budgets, and one can predict the small companies may have difficulty in gaining attention. Will the typical customer buy the vehicle from the well known established company, or from the small upstart? On the other hand the small startups like Green Vehicles are operating at a scale where the major car companies would lose their shirt.
Green Vehicles has big goals in mind, an intriguing vehicle design, and we wish them well.
See:
Green Vehicles, Leyden Energy Launch Technology Partnership at New Salinas Factory
The city beats out Silicon Valley and lands a clean and green carmaker
Salinas-based Green Vehicles welcomes new partner
Salinas' first electric cars to roll off assembly lines this summer...
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