Qiantu Motor is a Chinese start-up established in 2015 by CH-Auto Technology Company, a Beijing-based auto design firm that owns a $290 million plant in Suzhou with a capacity of 50,000 cars per year.
Mullen Technologies Inc. is the company that will handle the homologation and final assembly of Qiantu K50 complete-knock-down kits at a greenfield assembly location that is due to be disclosed in a few weeks.
Mullen also owns a network of dealerships in California as well as CarHub, “a digital platform that leverages AI and offers a complete, fun-to-use solution for buying, selling, and owning a car.” The K50 supercar was first to market (production started in 2017) but other EVs are being built in the plant.
A new Chinese EV brand by the name of Qiantu is using a sleek, carbon fiber-bodied sports car to spearhead its launch in the United States.
The Qiantu K50 was first shown in China in 2016 and has since then been further developed for a view to start production in 2020. Versions sold in the United States are to be assembled locally, with California’s Mullen Technologies to homologate, assemble and market the vehicle locally.
The K50 features a modular platform that can make room for many different battery configurations and various technologies. In the future, the flexible architecture may provide the opportunity to upgrade the model with different technologies.
Aluminum construction for the frame and carbon fiber for the body has helped to keep weight down, with the body-in-white tipping the scales at just 515 pounds. Qiantu and Mullen pointed out the figures are 40 percent lighter than steel construction and 20 percent lighter than aluminum alloy.
The K50 is expected to come with 402 horsepower generated by an electric motor at each axle, and the car should have a range approaching 230 miles. The standard wheels will be 19-inch aluminum alloys and a driving modes selector will offer up three choices: Adaptive, Sport and Boost. As a luxury offering, the K50 will also come with standard leather and Alcantara trim.
