Government and industry leaders say central New York will re-emerge as a leader in the automotive industry with a new generation of green car, an all electric car developed in India and assembled in Onondaga County.
At a news conference Friday afternoon at Hancock International Airport, government officials, including Governor David Paterson, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney announced that the Reva electric car would be assembled at a plant in Onondaga County.
The three door all electric car is capable of speeds up to 100 miles, can travel up to 120 miles on a single charge and can be re-charged by simply plugging it into a wall outlet.
To attract the plant to upstate New York, government officials worked out a deal with Bannon Automotive which secured the rights to manufacture the car in the United States. The company has agreed to invest $26-million dollars into a plant which will initially employ 100 workers and eventually up to 250. Bannon Automotive will receive up to $10-million dollars in state tax incentives and grants and will qualify for about 52-million dollars in loans and guarantees from the federal government.
Bannon CEO Paul Wimer says the plant could be in operation in 2010. He said part of the reason he chose to locate in Onondaga County was its skilled manufacturing based workforce. He expects the affordable car will be marketed to families who would like to drive around town for just 2 cents a mile. But Wimer says the main market for the Reva electric car would be New York City where its size and affordability would be especially attractive.
