Carbon Motors Corp. has announced it will use a former Visteon manufacturing site in Connorsville, Ind., to produce its E7 patrol car.
The company notified the Indiana Economic Development Corporation on Wednesday that the start-up would use the facility for its proposed headquarters and manufacturing operations. Carbon Motors intends to invest $350 million to site its production headquarters in the 1.8 million square-foot-facility. The company said it could create 1,500 jobs.
The IEDC must resolve outstanding contingencies with the company before agreements are finalized, including site acquisition complexity brought about by Visteon's recent bankruptcy, latent environmental concerns at the vacant facility and finalizing terms of an agreement which will protect Hoosier taxpayers and give Carbon Motors the opportunity to effectively compete for federal funding.
Carbon Motors said it will apply for a federal loan through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. Final selection of a manufacturing site is a condition for Carbon Motors to make the loan application. Such an award could expedite the job creation in Fayette County. DOE's program provides loans to automobile and parts manufacturers for the cost of re-equipping, expanding or establishing U.S. manufacturing facilities to produce advanced technology vehicles or qualified components.
Carbon Motors, established by former Ford Motor Company executives in 2003, has developed the Carbon E7, a law enforcement vehicle which incorporates bullet-proof door and dash panels, radiation and biological threat detectors, an automatic license plate recognition system, integrated emergency lights and a clean diesel engine. Carbon Motors estimates the E7's 3.0 liter clean diesel engine could reduce law enforcement fleet fuel costs by up to 40 percent.
Once agreements are finalized, the IEDC will announce the state's participation.
Related:
Building a Better Patrol Car: Carbon Motors E7 (podcast)
