Evum Motors, the spin-off of the TU Munich for the
commercialization of the all-electric commercial vehicle aCar, is back with
some news. In Bayerbach, Bavaria, the site is currently being prepared for
series production and a workshop with a showroom is being set up in Munich.
At this year’s IAA in September, Evum will present a
further developed version of the vehicle, which already largely corresponds to
the series aCar. “The audience will get to know an electric vehicle of the N1
class with a payload of up to one ton and a design ready for series
production,” says founder and managing director Sascha Koberstaedt. Originally
designed for use in Africa, the company is now talking about a multitude of
possible uses for the aCar: from the organic farmer’s transport assistant to
the forestry truck, from climbing on steep vineyards to city cleaning.
Following the IAA, Evum is planning a further round
of investment in order to start production in spring 2020 and to be able to
pursue further production and internationalisation plans in the near future.
There is still talk of a production target of 1,000 vehicles in the first year.
Meanwhile, the startup has, according to its own
statements, undergone strong structural and personnel development: since moving
into the headquarters in Munich a year ago, the workforce has grown to more
than 40 employees. It was only four years ago that the first prototype of the
2016 model was built – under the premise of building an electric car for Africa
that is tailored to the needs of the population, strengthens the rural
structure and boosts the economy. Following tests in Ghana, the initiators
presented a first revised version of the aCar at the IAA 2017.
Even before the founding of Evum Motors, the project
participants were not focusing on one market, but on many target markets. The
aim was to bring the aCar into use worldwide, from Africa to Brazil to
Indonesia, but also, as described above, in Europe, for example. And: In Europe
the aCar should cost 22,000 euros, in developing countries only about 10,000
euros.
