ACE-EV aims for 15,000 EVs in six years

A deal signed with Aldom Motor Body Builders in Adelaide will enable the Australian Clean Energy Electric Vehicle Group (ACE-EV) to possibly produce more than 15,000 EVs by 2025.

From early next year, the ACE-EV electric van the Cargo will begin assembly there, with utes and probably cars to follow.

Molded carbon-fibre reinforced body parts designed in conjunction with Taiwanese and German partners Dr Charles Kung and Gerhard Kurr respectively will be imported for assembly in Adelaide.

ACE-EV managing director Greg McGarvie says it has orders for about 100 EV delivery vans and he hopes to see more than 15,000 EVs produced by 2025.

He says the deal with Aldom provides extensive vehicle body manufacturing experience and related capabilities, as well as allowing use of factory floorspace, reported to be around 3000 square metres of Aldom’s 121,000sqm factory.

Full manufacturing is planned there once demand is measured with the molding process introduced to Australia to help establish a global right-hand drive market.

Funding of about A$130 million is needed for full manufacturing, McGarvie says.

He says the Aldom deal will help.

EV componentry is expected to eventually move from 25% Australian-made content to 50%.

The ACE-EV Cargo has passed crash testing in China to European standards and will also be tested in Australia.