Wunstorf, February 2009 – EcoCraft Automotive GmbH was established in 2006 to develop and produce electric vehicles. It has three production halls in Wunstorf, near Hannover, with a total floor area of 2,000 square metres, and currently employs 18 people.
The company manufactures the “EcoCarrier” small truck in collaboration with VW Sarajevo; it is equipped either with a purely electric or optionally with a hybrid (fuel cell) drive system, and is supplied in two versions for use by small tradesmen, public authorities, airports, postal and courier services and above all municipal service departments.
The EcoCarrier provides delivery and transport solutions that are free of smog, soot particle and cost problems, and are particularly suitable for use by local authorities and small craft businesses. The electric vehicles draw their energy from a mobile storage system (e.g. traction batteries).
The standard of manufacturing that has already been achieved is considered to provide an outstanding basis for the production of small to medium-sized series. “VW Sarajevo is contributing its many years of competence in automotive construction to the manufacture of the EcoCarrier, and is thereby facilitating the serial production of low-emission light commercial vehicles in increasingly large numbers, while maintaining consistent quality,” declared Giso Gillner, General Manager of EcoCraft Automotive.
The sales plan envisages the manufacture of 600 vehicles in 2009 and 800 to 1,000 a year from 2010 onwards. The first vehicles have already been supplied to local authorities and small businesses. EcoCraft Automotive will continue to produce special models, e.g. industrial and airport vehicles, in Wunstorf.
By contrast to other electric vehicles that are said to be forthcoming, both the EcoCarrier ES (normal version for a 370 kg payload) and the EcoCarrier EL (long version for a 750 kg payload) are already in production and have been approved for use on public roads. Prices lie between approx. €25,000 and €30,000. With energy costs of between €2.50 and €4.00 per 100 km and zero emissions, the EcoCarrier is both environment-friendly and economic.
The vehicle is available throughout Germany through 18 dealers and directly from EcoCraft Automotive.
Further information from: Ulrich Eggert, EcoCraft Automotive Kommunikation, tel. +49 (0)511/954370, mobile 0171/3636666, e-mail: Ulrich.Eggert(at)EcoCraft-Automotive.de