Then there was one!
Allied, survives alone, out of all those hopeful UK EV makers.
All the others, from the best, Smith Electric, sold after nearly 80 years of UK manufacture to the US, to the tens of little start-up Ev makers, to the over-capitalised and under-managed Vectrix UK Ltd, (funded on the UK stock-market),including eccentric designs like G-Wiz, have all ceased their UK existence.
The latest victim of government indifference and low public support is Modec.
While it's true that Modec spent too much money trying to be different, and not enough on selling vehicles, if the company slides from administration into liquidation, it will be yet another nail in the coffin of British manufacturing.
The problem was not lack of courageous vision by the founder, Lord 'Jamie' Borwick, or essentially the design. It was always about the lack of support the vehicle received in the UK, for such a high priced vehicle.
Other problems included a lack of export sales and a over reliance on big fleet sales.
Retailing at over $US 110,000 dollars, the vehicle was never going to find an export market for a limited range mid-sized delivery van.
This is the problem with building a vehicle from scratch. The development costs are crippling. The best solution is to find a large conventional truck and van maker with established sales/service network and offer a range extended, EV version.
This sort of piggy-back marketing, can be really effective, especially in commercial EV vehicle sales. Modec sales relied upon an early green boom time moral enthusiasm which could never survive the cold wind of economic reality.
Carefully marketed, with collaborating major OEM, and some government incentives, the cost per vehicle price could have been far more competitive. This would have enabled a strategic placement of EV vans deep within the major freight transport infrastructure to ensure continuing sales volume.
Let's all hope Modec finds a white knight. It really angers me to read the gloating comments from journalists and subscribers, of the odious Daily Telegraph .
