e.GO Mobile opens factory in Aachen

The German startup e.GO has opened their first factory to produce their electric car e.Go Life in Aachen. Once all is set up, a target of 10,000 vehicles per year will be produced here, with deliveries scheduled to begin at the end of 2018.

According to the company, the new 16,000 m² facility will serve as a model for Industry 4.0 technology, marked by the digital connection between almost all processes. This does not only apply to production, as the startup is banking on the use of technology for everything from design to assembly to sales. The facility will be further upgraded next year by about the same production numbers as outset.

At the beginning of the year, e.GO had planned to begin serial production by May, with first deliveries taking place in early October. Evidently, the entire schedule was pushed back by another two months. The plan to use the first 200 vehicles as test and model vehicles still stands though.

The new factory is set up to house a starting 142 employees. By the middle of 2019, e.Go Mobile is planning to add a second shift, which will help boost production to the above-mentioned 10,000 units per year. The total investment for the facility stands at 25.7 million euros, 2.6 million of which are being contributed by the state government of NRW. e.GO is only the tenant of the facility, however, as the factory was built and is being rented out by Triwo AG.

While the production lines for the first factory are being started up for the first time, the startup is already planning to open further locations. A near-by location will build the chassis for the e.GO Life and another will help deal with the construction of the planned e-minibus e.GO Mover.

The e.GO Life will be offered in three different power options, in an answer to customers who had wished for a more powerful engine. Bosch will be supplying a 230 volt electric motor instead of the originally planned 48 volt version.

To the technical details: The basic version of the vehicle will have a 20 kW performance for a range of 104 km. The e.GO Life 40 will make it up to 114 km, while the e.GO Life 60 comes with a 23.9 kWh battery which allows for a real range of 154 km. While the basic version will sell for 15,900 euro, the faster version will cost around 19,900 euro. An option to upgrade for features such as an infotainment system or navigation will cost customers extra.

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