Mullen Automotive announced today that it has been re-granted IP and distribution rights for the Qiantu K50 in North and South America. As a result, the company will assemble and sell a localized version of the electric vehicle under the names Mullen GT and Mullen GTRS. Few details about the rebranded car have been shared, but the California company says that it is targeting a sub two-second 0-96 km/h time and a top speed of more than 322 km/h.
The deal between Qiantu and Mullen was
first struck in 2019, when they announced that they would work together to
homologate the Chinese car for sale in North America with a launch scheduled
for 2020, though that was delayed over a contract dispute between the companies.
At the time, the Mullen and Qiantu were promising an electric powertrain that
made 429 hp. Estimates suggested that it would only hit 100 km/h in around 4.6 seconds, suggesting improvements have been made since
then.
In addition to this vehicle, Mullen also
plans to sell a small EV based on a Chinese vehicle in Europe, and the Five, an
electric crossover with an RS trim that will make more than 1,000 hp and accelerate to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds. Whether it will
share powertrain components with the Mullen GT and GTRS remains to be seen.
