by John Mobley
Virginia businessman and GreenTech Automotive chairman Terry McAuliffe visited Roanoke on Monday to promote his company’s new electric vehicle, the “MyCar,” to local business men and women as well as supporters of renewable energy vehicles. The crowd of 45 people gathered to hear McAuliffe speak about his new product -a fully electric car that can go up to 45 miles per hour and a total of 70 miles on a single charge.
The difference between his model and others previous attempts at popularizing an alternative energy vehicle in McAuliffe’s own words, “Is that this car is actually affordable!” The price tag on the first 100,000 units is $10,000 to be exact. And when you apply a $1500 government tax credit the car’s final price is $8500. McAuliffe went on to enthusiastically explain to the audience that the car can plug into any standard electrical outlet, calming concerns of any need for “futuristic plug-in gas stations.” McAuliffe also advised that 80% of Americans drive less than 40 miles a day, which falls way below the vehicles 70 mile single charge capability.
McAuliffe bought the Hong Kong based company EuAuto, producer of the MyCar, and relocated the business to the United States and incorporated it into GreenTech Automotive. McAuliffe received laughs and an extended applause from onlookers when he told them, “I’m one of the only people I know that is going to China to buy a company and then actually relocating that company here in the United States, and then sell the first cars off our assembly line right back to China!” Now GreenTech Automotive has big plans to follow up the MyCar with another fully electric vehicle and an additional 3 hybrid models. These big plans for expansion will mean big job growth for whatever state McAuliffe announces as his location for his company’s new production center.
In numerous interviews and press conferences, McAuliffe has mentioned that his two greatest commitments are to alternative energy and creating business in his native Virginia, and combining the two is an obvious goal for the product of Fairfax County. McAuliffe said, “The growth we saw with the explosion of the Internet in the ’90s is what green technology can be for this decade.” Audience members nodded their heads in approval when McAuliffe spoke of the importance of energy independence from Middle Eastern Countries especially in light of recent revolutions and instability, all of which send prices at the pumps through the roof. He closed by telling listeners that China and other countries have already begun to invest very heavily in alternative energy, and that it is his hope that America does not miss out on these energy technologies and opportunities of the future.
