A company that makes electric
cars said it is scouting sites in Massachusetts for its first
mass-production plant. BG Automotive Group, based in Philadelphia,
said it is considering Fall River and New Bedford for a 60,000-
to 100,000-square-foot building to produce the C100, a "neighborhood
electric vehicle" that can travel up to 120 miles on a single
charge and can be legally driven on Massachusetts roads with
posted speed limits of 35-45 miles per hour.
"We're looking at locations
that are strategically more appealing because of the available
labor force," said Gregg Nourjian, BG Automotive's representative
in the Boston area. Both cities have unemployment rates significantly
higher than the state average. He said the company is seeking
funding for the plant, which would employ about 150. "These
are jobs that are easily trainable and well above minimum wage,"
Nourjian said. "They're good jobs for the community."
Parts for the C100 - a four-passenger
vehicle priced between $16,000 and $18,000 - will come from overseas,
Nourjian said. "We're not really manufacturing anything
other than battery boxes or things that require slight modifications,"
he said.
Nourjian said he has also looked
at potential sites in Bridgewater and Taunton. Because the assembly
process is fairly simple, he said, the company could start producing
cars within about four months.
