Mullen will build Chinese Qiantu K50 EV in Washington state

Mullen Technologies, the California company that wants to homologate and build the K50 electric sports coupe from Chinese automaker Qiantu, says it has chosen a site near Spokane, Wash., as its manufacturing site for the car.

Mullen last week unveiled the 430-horsepower K50 at the New York International Auto Show but didn't divulge its manufacturing plans, except to say that a new factory would allow extra capacity to scale up for future products. The company in December signed an agreement with Qiantu, a subsidiary of CH-Auto.

According to The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, Mullen has signed a letter of intent with the Spokane-based West Plains Public Development Authority for the agency to build and lease a factory and research-and-development facility, with a pledge to create 55 jobs initially and 863 jobs within seven years. The deal calls for a two-phase development: first, a 500,000 square-foot facility to build the K50 and conduct research into lithium-ion batteries built by 2021, followed by an 800,000-square-foot building to commercialize batteries two to three years later. The agency will reportedly work with Mullen to find a temporary facility for initial battery R&D and production to help the company meet its goal of launching the Qiantu K50 in the U.S. by mid-2020.

The K50 is an all-wheel-drive sport coupe that features dynamic torque vectoring and two liquid-cooled electric motors. Mullen, which owns a series of dealerships and the CarHub digital platform, told Autoblog last week in New York that it wants to improve upon the current Chinese-market figures of 124 mph as the top speed and a 4.2-second 0-60-mph launch. The car uses a 70-kWh T-shaped battery pack that gives it a range of 230 miles on the NEDC cycle.

Mullen has said it plans to assemble the car from parts and frames sent from Qiantu. The K50 will be based on an aluminum space frame and 29 carbon fiber body panels that weigh a combined 103 pounds. The price is expected to start around $100,000.

Mullen also plans an initial public offering later this year, according to the Spokesman-Review.