Current Motor Company
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 2008 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA |
| Founders | John Harding, Erik Kauppi |
| Fate | Dissolved |
| Owner | Belle Capital |
Current Motor Company was a designer and manufacturer of all-electric maxi-scooters. Founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan, they marketed several scooter designs.
History
[edit]The company was co-founded in 2008 by Ann Arbor area residents John Harding, an entrepreneur and electric vehicle enthusiast, and Erik Kauppi, an engineer and inventor. Both had prior experience in the Detroit-area automotive industry. Having imported and evaluated several Chinese-made electric scooters, and, not being satisfied with their features or quality, Harding joined with Kauppi to develop their own vehicle.
Over the following two years several electric maxi-scooter models were developed using a maxi-scooter chassis made by Jonway of Zhejiang, China, Lithium iron phosphate battery cells and multi-phase rear wheel hub motors. The pair also engineered their own battery management system, wiring harness, digital instrument panel, vehicle telematics system, swing arm, battery box, and suspension. These vehicles were introduced as the C Series, consisting of the C130, C124, and C120 models, each with differing levels of power, range, top speed, curb weight, and MSRP. A "Test Pilot" program championed by former GM executive and investor Bob Lutz allowed early adopters to purchase a scooter at a discounted price in return for providing feedback and serving as a testbed for the vehicle's telematics software and other systems. Lutz also chaired Current Motor's Advisory Council.[2]
In 2011, Belle Capital, LP, a Michigan-based early stage angel fund, acquired majority ownership of the company and Lauren Flanagan was named president, replacing Harding (who subsequently left the company in 2012). In late 2013 the company introduced their "Mini Fleet" package that included four C-Series scooters paired with a mobile solar charging station.[3] In February, 2015 the "Mini-Fleet-in-a-Box" was introduced along with the "Nb" scooter, which, in contrast to the C-Series, was based on a chassis totally designed and manufactured in-house.[4]
As of May 1, 2018 the official company website was replaced by a holding page stating that the domain name had expired.
References
[edit]- ^ "Bob Lutz joins electric scooter maker Current Motor". Autoblog. Retrieved 2018-05-01.
- ^ "Bob Lutz joins electric scooter maker Current Motor". autoblog.com. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
- ^ "BCurrent Motor Co. debuts solar powered 'mini fleet' of scooters with mobile charging station". mlive.com. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ^ "The Ultimate in Off-Grid Transportation: Mini-Fleet-in-a-Box". mlive.com. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
External links
[edit]- Official website (expired)
- Youtube video demonstration of Nb scooter and mobile solar charging station
- Current Motor Co. doubles staff as it ramps up electric bike production
- MotorWeek review of Current Motor Super Scooter
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