By TEDDYE SNELL
Oklahoma, a state known for its oil and natural gas production, may be adding a new industry that’s eco-friendly: production of electric cars.
A recent report by the Associated Press indicated an agreement between AMP Control Inc. of Piedmont and Wheego Electric Cars of Atlanta, may be in the offing soon.
With unemployment rates skyrocketing across the state, the new venture could provide valuable jobs in the central part of Oklahoma.
Under the agreement, all-electric, street-legal, low-speed vehicles will be assembled in Piedmont, and dealerships will open in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa, with potential expansion in the future.
AMP Control is a distributor of remote-controlled lawnmowers, and will gain exclusive rights to sell the Wheego product line, including its Whip LSV model, in Oklahoma.
Area resident and Save the Illinois River Inc. member Kathy Tibbits believes the venture may provide several opportunities for cash-strapped Oklahoma.
“One would think this vehicle would be handy in dense, downtown urban cities, where parking and space are at a premium, such as for urban delivery cars on the East Coast,” said Tibbits.
Mike McQuary, Wheego CEO, told the AP that the tax credits recently approved by the Legislature make Oklahoma an attractive marketplace for selling the cars. McQuary indicated the Wheego Whip LSV qualifies for a state tax credit of 50 percent of the purchase price of the vehicle, which is $18,995, as well as a $7,500 federal tax credit. The state tax credit could be spread over five years.
Tibbits believes this could open the door for added revenue from other states.
“If anyone can exploit a state-sponsored Oklahoma subsidy of 50 percent, AMP Control will make a mint by attracting out-of-state buyers,” she said. “CEO Mike McQuary was one of the concept designers behind [Internet service providers] MindSpring and Earthlink. He’s a smart cookie.”
The Wheego Whip LSV – which stands for Low Speed Vehicle – looks similar to a SmartCar, but has a lower top-end speed and a few restrictions.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Department of Transportation created a class of vehicles known as Low Speed Vehicles in 1998. While minor details vary by state, the fundamentals of most of the LSV legislation declares the vehicles may be driven legally on any street that has a posted speed limit of 35 mph or lower, and that they be capable of reaching speeds of 20 mph and not more than 25 mph.
LSVs may also cross, but not travel on, streets that have posted speed limits of 45 mph or lower, and must comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requiring headlights, stop lights, turn signal lights, tail lights, reflex reflectors, a parking brake, rearview mirrors, a windshield, three-point seatbelts and a vehicle identification number.
Oklahoma is one of six states that have passed “medium speed vehicle” or MSV legislation that allows vehicles that meet the LSV standard and have a safety cage or a hard-shelled exterior to be driven at 35 mph on these same roads.
While LSVs and MSVs may seem nothing more than glorified golf carts, a quick look at the Wheego Whip spec sheet for accessories reveals many amenities that full-size cars employ, including power windows and door locks, air-conditioning, and AM/FM CD radio with an MP3/USB port.
The Whip is a two-seater vehicle that runs on sealed lead-acid batteries. It can be charged from a standard household outlet and will run about 40 miles on a single charge. McQuary told the AP the 2010 model is expected to run about 100 miles on a single charge.
While the Wheego qualifies for a state tax credit, some electric cars, such as those sold by Roger Gaddis of Ada Electric Cars, do not.
Gaddis’ models more resemble “street-legal” golf carts than actual cars. Gaddis said in several news interviews that the tax credits have basically reduced the price of several of his models to practically nothing, and he can’t keep models in stock.
Last Thursday, the Oklahoma Tax Commission passed an emergency rule excluding golf cart or go-cart body configurations, saying “the fact that a vehicle is ‘street legal’ is not determinative for qualification of the credit.’”
On Sept. 23, Gaddis announced his intentions to file suit against the OTC, as well as each of the three individual commissioners.
“What the commissioners did last Thursday was clearly wrong, it’s illegal and we’re filing this suit to protect our business and protect our customers, the taxpayers of Oklahoma,” said Gaddis.
Gaddis indicated the models he sells exceed federal standards, qualify as LSVs and have been licensed with the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Commission for over three years.
While golf cars are not eligible for the credit, the OTC has approved three cars for eligibility, including the Wheego, the Club Car Carryall 2, and the Club Car Carryall 6.
Tibbits believes any effort made to reduce emissions is a good thing.
“I bet you’ll see these cropping up on college campuses and in retirement communities,” she said. “Affordability, jobs, and a zero-emissions carbon footprint. Electricity is cheap and plentiful in Oklahoma, too.”
