LYNK & CO. MAY BUILD CARS IN SOUTH CAROLINA

Volvo and its parent company, Geely, are considering building the millennial-friendly Lynk & Co. branded cars in the US. If the happens, the cars could start being built on Volvo’s South Carolina assembly line by as early as 2019.

That comes from a senior Lynk & Co. official who spoke to Reuters a few days ago. “We have always said our manufacturing footprint will be global, and it will. It’s obvious that we are talking to Volvo to see whether there are opportunities within the small network of Volvo plants” to produce Lynk & Co. cars, said Lynk & Co. Senior Vice President Alain Visser, in a separate interview. He went on to say that Volvo’s South Carolina and Ghent, Belgium plants were “an option we (Geely) are looking at.”

The first Lynk & Co. model to see production is expected to be the 01 compact sport-utility vehicle (SUV) with a starting price of around 24,000 USD. It’s designed on the same platform as, and should be easily manufactured alongside, Volvo Cars’ upcoming XC40 crossover.

You can check out the upcoming Lynk & Co. cars- what we’ve seen of them, anyway- below, then let us know what you think of more Volvo/Geely investment in US manufacturing in the comments section at the bottom of the article.

Lynk & Co. 01 and 02

Source | Images: Lynk & Co., Geely, via CNBC.

Gas reaches lowest prices in over a decade

Summer travelers have reason to be happy today. The American Automobile Association (AAA) announced that gas prices are lower than they've ever been for July in the last 12 years. According to AAA, the national average gas price right now is $2.21 per gallon of regular unleaded. Not only that, but 25 percent of the country's gas stations are offering gas under $2. The lowest gas prices in the country are in South Carolina at just $1.88. California still holds the title of highest prices at $2.85, just edging out Hawaii at $2.82.

AAA credits the low prices at the pump to a large gasoline surplus in the US and relatively low prices for a barrel of oil. Currently, the US has a 13 percent larger supply of gasoline than it did last year, and that surplus is the largest it has ever been for the US in July. Oil prices are also hovering at about $45 a barrel.

This isn't the only good news for drivers this summer. AAA expects gas prices to remain low throughout the summer, barring some unforeseen event such as a hurricane, distribution, or refinery issue – or possibly overseas tensions. While the low gas prices are a boon for consumers, those concerned about fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gases may be worried about people driving more and a possible return to high truck and SUV sales.

Is BMW Spending A Billion Euro To Build An Electric SUV In America?

SUVs and crossovers are big business, and with the coming tide of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, automakers are positioning themselves to be leaders in this new wave of technology. BMW already has a head start with the i3 EV and i8 hybrid supercar, and we’ve assumed a plug-in sedan called the i5 would be next. But what if its not?

German magazine WirtschaftsWoche reports that BMW is looking into a billion euro expansion of its Spartanburg, South Carolina manufacturing facility to build a new i-branded SUV. The company actually announced the expansion last year, but has not yet made a final decision on whether to go forward with the expansion, or what, exactly, the new vehicle will be.

If it does happen, production capacity could increase to 450,000 units annually, an addition of 100,000 units, making it BMW’s largest factory. Speculation had been that the BMW X7 would be produced at the planet, but plans may have shifted in favor of an all-electric SUV. Or maybe this will merely be an X7 with a plug? Or will BMW give it the carbon fiber treatment like the i3 and i8? It could also be the just-announced BMW X5 PHEV too.

A plug-in SUV makes a lot of sense, perhaps even more so than a plug-in sedan like the i5. Sedan sales are starting to slip, and competitors like Audi and Tesla are preparing to launch plug-in utility vehicles of their own. Without much more to go on, we can only take a wait-and-see approach.

Michigan EV maker GGT Electric wins South Carolina state contract for LSVs

Michigan-based low-speed electric vehicle manufacturer GGT (GreenGoTek) Electric has been awarded one of South Carolina’s first statewide contracts to bring low-speed electric vehicles (LSVs) to the state’s automotive fleet.

The E-Dyne van. Click to enlarge.

The initial target of the contract calls for GGT to deliver 10 of their E-Dyne all-electric passenger vans to the state of South Carolina for the first year, with the option for a second year renewal for another 10 vans.

The vans will be used for a multitude of potential purposes, including, but not limited to, campus supervision, grounds maintenance, parking meter enforcement, personal transportation, light hauling, and others.

The E-Dyne van is powered by a 72V or 96V Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM)battery pack. SPeed is 25 mph (40 km/h). Range is 30+ miles (48+ kilometers) with the 72V battery and 40+ miles (64 km) with the 96V option.

Source: Green Car Congress