From Hummer to electric cars – SF Motors retools factory
EV startup SF Motors will invest 160 million dollars in refurbishing a former Hummer factory in Indiana to build its own electric cars. The factory will be able assemble the SF Motors SUVs in their entirety, including battery pack and welding. Trials may run this year.
China-backed startup SF Motors is gearing up to start production of its first two models, the SF5 and SF7 electric SUVs it had debuted in March. Deliveries are to start early next year so it is high time to get ready.
SF Motors had acquired the Mishawaka, Indiana facility back in November and now wants to invest 160 million dollars into retooling the 63,000 sqm facility for making electric cars. Previously, AM General had made the infamous Hummer here, an oversized tank-like SUV, and the Mercedes R-class vehicles.
SF Motors thus wants to tap into what it calls “a mature supplier network and the highly skilled automotive talent pool” and plans to create 467 jobs by 2020. The production capacity will be around 50,000 vehicles annually, according to SF Motors. As the company is planning to produce another 150,000 vehicles in their Chinese factory in Chongqing, they may be producing up to 200,000 vehicles per year as of next year.
For the subsidiary of Chongqing Sokon Industry Group, it is the third acquisition in the States after it also set up shop in California’s Silicon Valley as well as Michigan (we reported). It is part of SF Motors’ strategy to become an electric carmaker producing both in the U.S. and China.
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