Florida town to host factory for Tender Scarlette?

The town of Century, Florida may soon be the home of a new electric-car factory. The new company, operating under the name of Project Green Leaf, is said to be investigating a site in Escambia County on which to build a plant to assemble the all-electric Tender Scarlette. Already on sale in France, the Scarlette features four wheel drive (each wheel gets its own motor) and uses lead acid batteries. Although it can reach at least 50 mph, it would likely be limited to 25 mph NEV status on public roads in the Sunshine State. Jurisdictions with medium speed vehicle (MSV) laws could allow speeds of a heart-stopping 35 mph. Its range is estimated to be between 65 and 75 miles and sells in France for $13,500 to $20,000, depending on the configuration.

The location is not a done deal just yet. The property, located in an "Enterprise Zone, Brownfield Zone and Florida Enterprise Zone" and subject to various financial incentives, was formerly the home of Helicopter Technologies which was foreclosed upon but whose owner has fled the country, thus complicating the situation. Century town officials are anxious to land the plant as it could provide up to 1,100 jobs for local residents. Mayor Freddie McCall said, "We sure hope they end up here in Century. We offer many incentives they just are not going to find anywhere else." The men behind Project Green Leaf are Nash and Jay Patel, who run a business in nearby Pensacola. If they manage to get it up and running we'll do our best to bring you some ABG four-wheel-drivin' action. In the meantime, hit the jump for some video of the Scarlette wheeling around in the snow-laden French Alps.

[Source: NorthEscambia.com]