CT&T eZone Plus
The second reveal was the eZone Plus, a 2-seat car designed for use around town. It is capable of going 45 mph and has a range of 75 miles. CT&T has plans to build a 4-door version as well.
CT&T C Square
CT&T's first intro was a snazzy, baby-blue 2-seat sports car called the C Square. Westlake wouldn't discuss pricing but did say the car has a top speed of 93 mph and can travel 155 miles on a single charge. It draws power from a lithium-polymer battery pack.
Korean automaker CT&T announced plans to take the electric vehicle mainstream by the end of the year, and it unveiled two new electric vehicles at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit to show that it means business.
"These vehicles are not a pie in the sky," said Curt Westlake, marketing director for CT&T, at the unveiling. "They will go into production in the second quarter of 2010."
Unfortunately, none of the vehicles is approved for "normal" use on America's highways and byways. Instead, they are categorized as low-speed vehicles by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the same classification given to golf carts and other similar-sized, 4-wheeled vehicles.
Proponents of LSVs say they offer a variety of advantages over their more traditional brethren; i.e., they are less expensive and more energy-efficient. Plus, many are electric-powered, so the use of these vehicles — instead of larger, gasoline-powered vehicles like passenger cars — provides quieter transportation that does not pollute the air of the communities in which they are operated.
"Until the battery technologies get to the point where batteries are affordable, full-speed electrics are going to be expensive," Westlake said. Low-speed electrics have smaller, less-expensive batteries and can be good vehicles for specific uses.
