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| The designers at Boulder watched too much Star Wars. Luke (gasp) I am your (gaps) father! |
ELECTRIC trucks traditionally only worked far from the public eye
in restricted areas of airports. There, it does not matter that these trucks are
— to a model — fugly.
But the looks of a even electric trucks are vital when they are
aimed at public buyers, as two small electric truck manufacturers in the U.S.
have discovered to their cost.
The Los
Angeles Daily News reports the Boulder Electric Vehicle company is
mothballing production after disappointing sales. As reported last year on this
Motoring
page, Boulder made two models, both with a decent range and capable of
freeway speeds and payloads between 1,5 and 2,2 tons.
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| The Smith Electric truck still rides, thanks China. |
In an interview with the Los Angeles paper, CEO Carter Brown said
Boulder would still service the few vehicles it sold.
Earlier this year Smith Electric Vehicles also suspended
production, after losing more than $127 million (R1,4 billion). Smith has since
been bailed out by a China’s Wanxiang Group and resumed production.
(This article was first published in the Weekend Witness)
