GGC : First, an assembly plant, then (maybe) the Canadian market!

On September 4, US-based Global Green Cars (GGC) announced the construction of a plug-in hybrid assembly plant in Kentucky. The word came from group president Brooks Agnew, who also said Canadian sales operations are a definite possibility.

The G-3 pick-up will be the first product from Global Green Cars to be sold in North America.

A subsidiary of Green Star Products, which has been specializing in the conversion of internal combustion engine vehicles into electric vehicles since 1992, GGC is one of many upstart companies in the US that want to reap gold from the electric car Eldorado.

Similar to Canada’s Zenn and Electrovaya, GGC does not build cars from the ground up. Rather, it transforms models supplied by Chinese partner Yema Auto, also known as Sichuan Auto Industry Group.

Small hybrid pick-up
The G-3 pick-up will be the first vehicle sold by GGC. A prototype of this plug-in hybrid was unveiled as Mr. Agnew made the plant announcement.

Shorter than a Toyota Tacoma, the G-3 has a payload capacity of 450 kilos. The available range is about 160 kilometres with a top speed of 130 km/h. MSRP will start at just under US$25,000.

According to the president, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently in the process of certifying the G-3. "The first shipping containers of chassis are arriving in about two weeks. These will be finished out for demonstration purposes. Barring any changes in requirements, we should be in production in 2010. And yes, we are interested in delivering vehicles to the Canadian market," Mr. Agnew told us.

Three models on the table
In October, employees will begin working in temporary facilities (48,000 sq ft) before shifting to the 4-times larger assembly plant by 2011. Mr. Agnew plans on manufacturing up to 30,000 units a year.

The G-1 is a two-passenger plug-in hybrid sedan that could eventually be sold across the continent.