Runner: R$15,000 compact electric car will be developed in Ceará
Vehicle named Runner has two seats and is very compact
Image: disclosure
Have you ever seen a runt car? It may even be so, since there are many models of compact cars growing in the market, but the original Nanico, you can only find it in Ceará. Created by Brazilian designer Caio Strumiello, the Nanico Car should start being commercially manufactured in Brazil in 2016. Strumiello and his partner, physicist Paulo Roberto, are negotiating with the city of São Gonçalo do Amarante, about 60 kilometers away of Fortaleza, the construction of the factory to produce the model in the city.
With two seats and 280 kilos, the vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 80 km/h. It will have air bags and ABS brakes to meet the requirements of cars produced in Brazil.
To attract the project, the municipal administration promised to donate the land and grant tax benefits. With an initial investment of around R$ 8 million, the unit should have the capacity to assemble up to 500 vehicles per month, generating around 100 direct jobs. Paulo Roberto explained to broadcast, real-time news service from State Agency, that the city of São Gonçalo has committed to donating a 12-hectare plot of land outside the urban perimeter.
In addition, it promised to reduce ICMS and ISS rates for a period not yet defined and to invest the R$ 8 million for the construction of the factory. "I don't know if it will come from the city hall's coffers or from another corner," he explained.
Gas and Electric
A contract between the parties is expected to be signed next week. After signing, the physicist states that construction should start within a maximum of 60 days and last about six months. A source from the city hall confirmed the negotiations with the entrepreneurs.
Until now, Nanico Car was only produced by hand in the country. According to Roberto, around 15 units have already been manufactured in São Paulo. The models are 1.90 meters long, have a 125-cc engine, can carry two people, and gasoline or natural gas (CNG) versions.
The model to be produced in Ceará, explained Roberto, will also have a gas version and an electric motor, "which should end up dominating production, as the cost to the consumer will be lower, with zero pollution". The physicist's projection is that, after being regulated, the commercially produced model will cost from R$15,000.
The automaker, whose official name has not yet been defined, will be located near the Port of Pecém, which could facilitate the export of vehicles. The region is the same where Petrobras' Premium II refinery would be built, whose works were canceled by the state-owned company earlier this year.
If the deal goes through, it will be the second automaker to settle in Ceará.
