EV World reports: http://www.evworld.com/news.cfm?newsid=15464
Steve Tolan is attempting to raise $40 million to put a new electric car into production. Some parts of his plan sound quite similar to what Tesla are doing.
He plans to keep Symphony Motors’ costs low by taking advantage of the auto industry’s existing infrastructure. Symphony Motors wants to buy every component of its electric cars, from windshield to wheels, on the open market. Using just-in-time manufacturing processes, the company will have to establish its own operations only for electric-car assembly and delivery to market, Tolen said. It’s the same way Dell builds computers.
Bill Wylam is on the board of directors. He previously led development of the propulsion for GM's EV1. He is quoted as follows. . .
“We are at the threshold of some kind of more electrified vehicle-propulsion systems. Some of it will take the form of pure EVs, as opposed to the hybrids,” he said. “I spent the last 10 years at GM with the management saying nobody will buy a hybrid vehicle; they don’t make sense. Well, Toyota just announced the 1 millionth hybrid sold. Even GM can be wrong about what people will want to drive.”
The big car companies are just now shifting their century-long focus on the combustion engine — reluctantly — toward hybrids, Wylam said. None are producing fully electric cars, because they don’t believe drivers will perceive them as anything but a toy or novelty.
About the actual car, little is said. It's described only as "a safe batterypowered vehicle capable of rapid acceleration, highway speeds and over 100 miles of distance between charges", and the company expects to produce it within 18 months. Which, to me, sounds insanely optimistic. We shall see.
Steve Tolan is attempting to raise $40 million to put a new electric car into production. Some parts of his plan sound quite similar to what Tesla are doing.
He plans to keep Symphony Motors’ costs low by taking advantage of the auto industry’s existing infrastructure. Symphony Motors wants to buy every component of its electric cars, from windshield to wheels, on the open market. Using just-in-time manufacturing processes, the company will have to establish its own operations only for electric-car assembly and delivery to market, Tolen said. It’s the same way Dell builds computers.
Bill Wylam is on the board of directors. He previously led development of the propulsion for GM's EV1. He is quoted as follows. . .
“We are at the threshold of some kind of more electrified vehicle-propulsion systems. Some of it will take the form of pure EVs, as opposed to the hybrids,” he said. “I spent the last 10 years at GM with the management saying nobody will buy a hybrid vehicle; they don’t make sense. Well, Toyota just announced the 1 millionth hybrid sold. Even GM can be wrong about what people will want to drive.”
The big car companies are just now shifting their century-long focus on the combustion engine — reluctantly — toward hybrids, Wylam said. None are producing fully electric cars, because they don’t believe drivers will perceive them as anything but a toy or novelty.
About the actual car, little is said. It's described only as "a safe batterypowered vehicle capable of rapid acceleration, highway speeds and over 100 miles of distance between charges", and the company expects to produce it within 18 months. Which, to me, sounds insanely optimistic. We shall see.
