EcoV electric car debuts at Maker Faire

Last weekend's Maker Faire at The Henry Ford was all about showcasing the inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs who are constantly creating new things. It was a perfect fit for Grosse Pointe Woods-based EnVironmental Transportation Solutions to showcase its invention – the EcoV.

The EcoV is a street-legal automobile that comfortably reaches 25 mph on surface streets. The all-electric vehicle has a range of 40 miles when fully charged and can run on 50 cents' worth of electricity for eight hours each day while producing zero emissions. It has a payload capacity of 1,000-1,500 pounds and retails for about $12,000.

"We've seen such a tremendous interest in the product that it's amazing to me," says Richard Marks, president of EnVironmental Transportation Solutions.

The six-person company has revamped its prototype vehicle so it looks "so much more finished and polished," according to Marks. It comes in both electric-only and electricity-generating propane versions. He has manufacturing lined up and is working to secure up to $4 million in seed capital to get the project into the market.

"We're looking to start production early next year," Marks says.

Source: Richard Marks, president of EnVironmental Transportation Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke
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