German EV developer ElectricBrands has won Dutch car manufacturer VDL Nedcar as a contract manufacturer for its XBUS and Evetta models. The light electric vehicles will be produced at the VDL Nedcar plant in Born, the westernmost point of the Netherlands, not far from Aachen and Düsseldorf.
“The location with good logistical connections in a central position between Germany and the Benelux countries also contributed to the decision to choose VDL Nedcar as production partner,” explains ElectricBrands managing director Ralf Haller.
Production of the Evetta with the so-called pilot series and the first delivery to dealers is planned for the beginning of 2024. The XBUS is to follow a year later. This not only secures that series production will go ahead but the company will also benefit from the experience of the Dutch company’s 4,000-strong team in the further development of the fleet.
Originally, production of the XBUS was to start in the summer of 2022 in Itzehoe. In September last year, ElectricBrands announced that it would not produce the light electric vehicle itself – but the communicated delivery dates were to remain in place. Now VDL is taking over Nedcar.
By now, it is already clear that the planned start of production will not be possible. But even now it will take about a year before the first vehicles are built: Production of the Evetta with the pilot series and the first delivery to dealers is planned for the beginning of 2024, shortly after which the first end customers should be able to take delivery of the vehicle. The XBUS will then follow a year later.
VDL Nedcar is full of praise for the vehicles that will be built in Born in the future. The family-owned company, which has its own research and development department, believes that the L7e class of light electric vehicles, which includes the XBUS and the Evetta, has great potential for future mobility.
In future, customers will be able to choose from a total of nine variants of the XBUS, including pick-up, van, bus and camper. In the basic version, the permanently installed 15 kWh battery will provide a range of about 200 kilometres. Additional exchangeable lithium battery packs will increase the storage capacity to 45 kWh and the range to 600 kilometres.
Keyword: ElectricBrands to have XBUS & Evetta built in the Netherlands