Via Motors One-Ups the Chevy Volt

A new automobile startup has a fresh concept for developing its vehicles. Instead of relying solely on gasoline, and instead of enduring the pain of trying to manufacture the entire vehicle itself, Via Motors is letting General Motors GM perform the majority of the work. In fact, Via Motors does not even begin until GM has completed one of three key vehicles: the Chevy Tahoe, Silverado, and Express Van. Via Motors then takes those large automobiles and reengineers each one with its own electric powertrain. “This powertrain is specifically suited for a larger type truck,” Benson Trent, a graphic designer and Art Director for Via Motors, told Benzinga. “In fact, even larger vehicles [can use it], such as FedEx FDX type vehicles and buses.” Trent said that Via Motors was an offshoot of an electric motor company that started in 2003. “Via began in November 2010, and they've been working to develop a product,” he said. “PG&E PCG in California is the first big customer. We're getting 3,000 vehicles put together for them. They estimate they'll save about $7,000 per year, per vehicle, by buying that many vehicles. It makes sense economically, and it makes sense for the environment, obviously. We're gonna kill our addiction to oil a little bit.”

Trent said that the idea for Via Motors came about after its founders saw a unique opportunity. “With the technology they had already developed – they made a 100mpg Hummer that Arnold Schwarzenegger was a big fan of – he's a big Hummer guy,” said Trent. “They've developed this big vehicle powertrain for electric vehicles, and it works really well because there's a need for delivery people who have specified routes (short runs), but it also works for people who want to take a weekend trip to wherever, because the gas motor kicks right in to charge the batteries whenever you take a long-distance trip. In fact, you don't ever need to plug it in, and you'll get the same efficiency as a hybrid.” In addition to PG&E, Coca-Cola KO is also a customer. AT&T T has also expressed interest in purchasing vehicles from Via Motors. While the company's technology seems to be fairly flexible, Via Motors does not intend to start randomly converting gas vehicles to electric. “We're doing specific engineering for these vehicles so we can get the price down with manufacturing,” said Trent. “So we're not just taking any vehicle. We're selecting specific brands of vehicles, because the frame of each of these vehicles is identical, and we can just pop in our powertrain.” Via Motors, which is still in the investment stage, raised a little over $5 million from Carl Berg. “He's a big real estate guy in California,” said Trent. “Via raised an additional $30 million in capital, so it's very small. You need about a billion dollars to do a car company correctly. So we're choosing our battles wisely as a small company to make a product. It's all about the product.” Follow me @LouisBedigian