Heads Up..er, down? Tiny Car May Be Coming

Expect an announcement in the next couple of weeks about a South Korean company locating a plant in the Southeastern U.S., likely in Alabama, though Georgia and South Carolina are also fighting hard for it. The plant would produce frames and other major components for the "EZone" electric vehicles(top left) for CT&T Company. The cars have been compared to the Daimler Smart ForTwo vehicles (top center). The Mercedes plant in Tuscaloosa just produced their One-Millionth vehicle! In addition, Hyundai is expected to build a hybrid at it's Montgomery plant, probably based on the Sonata (top right). Then there's the China Ex-Pat Billionaire Benjamin Yeung, who saying he'll build a huge plant near Mobile for build electric vehicles too. That may be the most nebulous of the projects, since the money for it has yet to be lined up. And his former partner is still promoting a similar project in Mississippi, complete with models on display. All in all, Alabama is positioned to become a major electric and hybrid vehicle production state. Incentives like the free training offered manufacturers through AIDT are a major factor, and it is being copied by other states. Alabama's hostility to unions is also a big factor, though industrial development types deny it.