New automaker V-Vehicle Co. sets up shop in idled GM plant in Louisiana
by Sebastian Blanco on Jun 17th 2009 at 2:26PM 
Wither natural gas? T. Boone Pickens was last heard strongly supporting using the abundant North American fossil fuel as a means of moving the U.S. away from foreign oil. Today, though, the Texas oil man (and almost wind man) was revealed as an investor in a new automotive company called V-Vehicle Co. Based in San Diego, VVC has announced that it will move into an ex-GM plant in Monroe, Louisiana that has been idle since 2007 to build "environmentally friendly" vehicles.
About all we know of the vehicles is the teaser image above and that the company says it will be a "fuel-efficient car for the U.S. market," but we can guess at the style because former Mazda design chief Tom Matano, the man behind the MX-5 Miata, has been hired as VVC's design director. Matano said that more details on the car would be released later.
As we mentioned earlier, the state hopes that the plant will create about 1,400 new jobs with an average salary of $40,000. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was at the announcement ceremony today and says that the state offered VVC an incentive package worth $67 million, and local governments will put up a further $15 million. Thanks again to Mart for the tip!
[Sources: CNBC, Automotive News (subs req'd)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Matt 2:57PM (6/17/2009)
Does anyone else feel like our automotive industry is about to be totally fragmented? Am I actually going to have viable choices other than the big names? On one hand, I want lots of choices and variety, but on the other I think, how many can we have before sensory overload?
My guess is these will be CNG vehicles if T. Boone is backing it. Honestly, if he's backing it, I don't want it. It could be a $20k electric sports car with 300 mile range (the green dream :) and I still wouldn't buy it from that guy; not after looking into his "wind farm"/plan to privatize water.
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polo 2:58PM (6/17/2009)
I wonder if they will be producing CNG cars....
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Tohe 3:59PM (6/17/2009)
I agree with Matt, the fact that T. Boone Pickens is behind it is a turn off, besides that place in Northern Louisiana totally smells from a nearby paper mill, so it isn't exactly a green happy place.
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GTZealot 5:20PM (6/17/2009)
Gosh, talk about your Debbie Downers...
The Natural Gas Hinda Civic GX pollutes less than a Prius, and 97% of the fuel is produced locally. I'll buy whatever vehicle that will enable me to stop sending my $$$ overseas to countries that do bad things with that $$$ and reduces smog. I find it ridiculous that people would not buy a clean American car that burns American made fuel because they don't like the American owner. If you buy gasoline, you support of cruel Islamic regimes. Doing that while throwing stones at someone (Pickens) who could help you stop buying gasoline and pollute less is nonsensical.
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Dave 5:29PM (6/17/2009)
So how do you like your Civic GX?
Where do you refuel?
polo 7:58PM (6/17/2009)
Oil companies (who own that natural gas) do bad things with your money, like pay mercenaries to kill protesters like Chevron has been found doing in Nigeria. If you buy natural gas you support cruel murdering corpora-terrorists like the oil companies.
I'll wait for my plug in.
RSR 9:09AM (6/18/2009)
Polo,
Wasn't that Shell, not Chevron?
Where does the electricity come from? Nuclear power, natural gas, coal, water power, and OIL.
Lemon 9:38AM (6/18/2009)
RSR: Fuel consumption in the US in 2008 for electricity generation was 52% coal, 16% natural gas, 2% petroleum, and 30% non-fossil. Most of our fuel for electricity generation comes from the states
Chris M 5:40PM (6/17/2009)
Round headlights and flared fenders? Makes me think of retro-50's style. I hope not, the retro style market is about saturated with PT Cruisers and HHR Chevys.
Agreed, with T Boone Pickens as investor, CNG is a given, though it likely will be dual fueled, considering the sparsity of CNG refueling stations. Still, there are a lot more CNG fueling locations compared to H2 fueling.
Nice try, but I'm still looking for a plug-in.
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Beejal 6:39PM (6/17/2009)
I would like to see plug-ins as well, with natural gas as the grid-fuel providing the juice to the electric cars. Gotta have mandatory recycling of spent or damaged batteries, however.
Also, I'm not sure about natural gas storage and the refueling process.
I will say this however - natural gas would be a great alternative to diesel powered public transportation modalities (esp. buses and any city trains that may require diesel). These vehicles only fill at certain entral locations, anyway, and they'd produce much less particulate matter than chemically heavier diesel. I believe India or parts of India have mandated the switch for taxis, buses, and the lik - very successful at reducing city smog and particulates, also a popular program. Hybrid diesel-electric buses are pretty neat though, and so are biodiesel-only buses.
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GTZealot 7:23PM (6/17/2009)
@ Dave
I don't have a Civic GX, nowhere to refuel where I am here in GA. On a recent trip to Toronto I saw three NG refueling pumps at gas stations in my limited travels, was frustrated we don't have that option here. I am definitely for a gasoline tax to pay for the infrastructure changes required to make that a reality here (adding the storage facilities & pumps on-site, and necessary enhancements to existing underground pipelines available most everywhere). I have considered adding the home pump and getting a GX, but the total cost is out of my price range right now... maybe Pickens could change that by producing a small sedan... (he should talk to Penske about finding a dealership network (>: ).
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Mark 9:32PM (6/17/2009)
Moving from oil to natural gas is a big no no, as it just shifts the problem to another fuel that will peak. If it was biogas (gas produced from human, animal or general waste) then this would be a different story, but it just seems to be another way for oil companies to screw people.
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GTZealot 10:04PM (6/17/2009)
Eventually battery powered cars will end big oil, but I think we are still at least 2 decades from that day.
Keep in mind the benefits of NG, less smog forming pollution and energy independance. It is a good interim solution, better than just reducing our need for importing gas with hybrids (since hybrids still burn foreign oil, albeit less, but the source is the same). The oil companies are in control either way until the electric car becomes a truely viable alternative.
Chris M 12:11AM (6/18/2009)
For all practical purposes, "biogas": IS natural gas. Both are composed mainly of methanol, with trace amounts of water vapor and other volatile organics. All that is needed to convert biogas into natural gas is to remove sulfur compounds, CO2, and excess moisture. That means that natural gas is the only fossil fuel that also has a renewable source.
GTZealot 10:22PM (6/17/2009)
Forget T Boone Pickens' invlovement with this; if Gore supports it shouldn't you (said with a little bit o sarcasm):
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/06/17/in-midst-of-auto-crisis-al-gore-backs-a-new-car-company-in-loui/
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Tohe 10:59PM (6/17/2009)
Tell me, if T Boone Pickens is doing this out of the kindness of his heart and to save our planet, if he is such an enlightened human being, then why did he invest a fortune in TV ads for Natural Gas adoption during the 2008 presidential campaign? oh yeah he had to convince us to do the right thing, how did I miss that geez!
Paul Lewis 9:21AM (6/18/2009)
I'm with GTZealot. And to Tohe, I'm curious, what is wrong with backing an idea which is good for the USA which also is good for yourself (Pickens) as well? The man spent HIS money on ads for a solution which is good for HIS country AND his pocketbook. I don't see how this is bad unless it somehow offends someone's socialist beliefs of making a profit on one's endeavors.
On a different note, has anyone heard what's become of Fuelmaker? last I heard it was in bankruptcy in Canada for lack of $33m USD and a buyer. I know Pickens tried to buy it, (among several parties), and that Honda USA attorneys kept screwing the deals. If V-V Co. has acquired the rights to Fuelmaker, they could sell you the car AND the home-fueling appliance. If the new car is a plug-in hybrid with CNG as the combustible AND a HFA, show me where to sign up!
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DasBoese 2:26PM (6/18/2009)
You mean methane, not methanol.
And bigas is not natural gas, the very definition of natural gas is that it's fossil, while biogas isn't.
In any case, biogas is better suited for decentralized power and heating, it's just more cost effective than turning it into fuel.
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CS Guy 4:13PM (6/23/2009)
Whatever you do or buy, someone is going to be making money off you. That argument is a non starter. Personally, I'd rather my money go to a "reformed oil man" who is now pushing wind power and CNG than a tyrannical foreign government that brutally keeps its own citizens from peaceful demonstrations and, oh by the way, funds terrorist organizations.
If V-Vehicles Co. follows through and produces a viable alternative energy vehicle I am all for it.
BTW, a note on having multiple vehicle companies. The recent history of having a "big three" is the anomaly, not the rule. Up to the 1950s we had Hudson, Nash and Packard as well as Crosley (first car company to use SOHC and 4 wheel disc brakes). As recently as the 1960s we had DeSoto, Rambler and Studebaker. The 1980s brought the demise of AMC (American Motors Company) and Checker (of Checker Cab fame). From 1988 to 1998 we had Eagle and Geo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_United_States_automobile_manufacturers
Why do I care? Capitalism works best when there is lots of competition. Monopolies all fail in the end. The "big three" were essentially a monopoly it seems as they all worked to make the crappiest cars possible for decades. With no real domestic competition they gave away the majority of the US car market to the imports with their inbred leadership all making the same dumb decisions year after year.
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