GreenTech Automotive, an American manufacturer of all-electric vehicles, and JAC Motors, a leading Chinese automotive manufacturer, announced a strategic partnership that will include the development of a five-passenger, all-electric sedan to be assembled in the United States.
The sedan will combine JAC's Rejoice vehicle platform with GTA's advanced electric powertrain and battery management system. The sedan will feature a 19kwh battery with a range of over 100 miles on a single charge and a charge time of 6 to 8 hours.
GTA will assemble the vehicles in its Horn Lake, Miss., facility for distribution in North America exclusively beginning in late-2013. After a pilot assembly of 2,000 vehicles, GTA plans to establish another assembly facility for the sedan and expects to create 200 additional jobs in the United States.
"JAC is recognized worldwide for the caliber and quality of its manufacturing. GTA's innovative electric powertrain is a perfect fit for JAC's EV platform, which has won numerous national awards in China," said Charles Wang, chairman and CEO, GreenTech Automotive. "Our meetings clearly revealed that there was good synergy between the JAC platforms and our technology and both companies immediately understood that a strategic partnership is in each company's best interest."
Executives from both companies began high-level strategic meetings in 2012, including multiple visits to each other's assembly facilities and in-depth technical reviews and marketing planning discussions. The agreement was finalized in March and announced at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition.
"The GTA partnership is of great significance to JAC," said Jing An, chairman and CEO, JAC. "GTA has quickly proven its adeptness with a proven advanced technology and expertise as an EV developer with a growing distribution network. We believe this partnership represents a win-win for both our companies."
"The five-passenger sedan is a natural complement to our two-passenger MyCar product line," said Marianne McInerney, executive vice president, sales and marketing, GTA. "The MyCar, which offers consumers a fun, affordable driving experience, is already seeing strong response, achieving distribution agreements for the sale of more than 30,000 units over the next three years. The JAC-GTA partnership allows us to expand our product line-up with a sedan and allows us to offer the GTA technology with great amenities and room for five passengers while adhering to our philosophy of being price competitive."
