Has anybody heard of the status of Vectrix USA? What is the plan for the dealer network, etc?
The status of VUSA, is fairly simple, it no longer exists! GH Partners sold its interest to Gold Peak batteries and the Polish factory has been manufacturing small scale production to orders from UK and European dealers, such as Hesketh and the old Spanish Vectrix distributor.
I suppose a former US dealer could place an order and import directly.
It remains to be seen what Gold Peak intend to do with Vectrix. Like most large PRC firms, God Peak will consider the position very carefully and very slowly. Interestingly the factory is still selling the same number of VX 1's it did previously. With no expensive R&D, enormous corporate and marketing development cost, it probably isn't costing Gold Peak a great deal to maintain.
Why did Gold Peak buy? Well, I suspect that by by controlling the Chapter 11 process, Gold Peak successfully capped battery warranty/legal/ liability claims to $2 million.
A smaller leaner Vectrix could even recoup that money, and Gold Peak successfully acquires all that expensive Vectrix IP. This doesn't mean that Vectrix has a long term future. At least, not as an independent volume market marque.
I received a couple of email replies from the dealer in San Francisco last month - I posted it here in a different thread:
December 20, 2009:
The San Francisco Vectrix dealer (Suderia) talked with the new owners of Vectrix last Monday, this is the email I received:
Hi David,
The meeting went well but not a lot to share just yet. They should be deciding the U.S. structuring in the next few weeks. More news then.
Don
I will share more info as I receive it :-)
I haven't heard anything since then, but will send another email and see if there is any new info yet.
The status of VUSA, is fairly simple, it no longer exists! GH Partners sold its interest to Gold Peak batteries and the Polish factory has been manufacturing small scale production to orders from UK and European dealers, such as Hesketh and the old Spanish Vectrix distributor.
I suppose a former US dealer could place an order and import directly.
It remains to be seen what Gold Peak intend to do with Vectrix. Like most large PRC firms, God Peak will consider the position very carefully and very slowly. Interestingly the factory is still selling the same number of VX 1's it did previously. With no expensive R&D, enormous corporate and marketing development cost, it probably isn't costing Gold Peak a great deal to maintain.
Why did Gold Peak buy? Well, I suspect that by by controlling the Chapter 11 process, Gold Peak successfully capped battery warranty/legal/ liability claims to $2 million.
A smaller leaner Vectrix could even recoup that money, and Gold Peak successfully acquires all that expensive Vectrix IP. This doesn't mean that Vectrix has a long term future. At least, not as an independent volume market marque.
marcopolo
Seems Vectrix is hiring again!
See this: http://jobsearch.monster.com/search.aspx?co=xw140383087wx
Once you go EV, Gas is history!
That is good news!
P.S: Why won't Vectrix just rehire their old engineers back?
I received a couple of email replies from the dealer in San Francisco last month - I posted it here in a different thread:
December 20, 2009:
The San Francisco Vectrix dealer (Suderia) talked with the new owners of Vectrix last Monday, this is the email I received:
Hi David,
The meeting went well but not a lot to share just yet. They should be deciding the U.S. structuring in the next few weeks. More news then.
Don
I will share more info as I receive it :-)
I haven't heard anything since then, but will send another email and see if there is any new info yet.
I received this email from the Vectrix dealer in San Francisco yesterday:
things should be up an running again by end of march from what i was told last week.
sounds like good news.
Don
I'm optimistic :-)
looks like lovley british weather .
hehe kev