Jonway Bought Aptera, Showcasing Three-wheeled EV Concept
May 11th, 2012 | Posted in Auto Shows | Electric Car | JonwayAt the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, which closed on May 2, the Jonway lineup featured a strange-looking EV concept. Although bearing the Jonway logo, the three-wheeler’s unique design tells unmistakably that it is an Aptera 2e.
From an annoymous source at the company, we have learned that Jonway acquired the 2e through buying the California-based Aptera Motors, which went into bankkrupcy protection last December.
Neither Jonway nor its partner ZAP has so far made any formal announcement on the matter. In Jonway’s official press release on the auto show, there is this vague statement describing the "new energy vehicle" (NEV) concept: "At this auto show, Jonway Auto reveals its latest achievements in the NEV field– an A380 EV in chocolate color and a futuristic concept. They show the strengths of this forward-looking company in the NEV field. The NEV concept, in particular, came out of the ZAP-Jonway cooperation. With an eye-catching appearance, it points to an exciting trend in the EV industry…" (translated from Chinese).
Based in Zhejiang province, Jonway started to make SUVs eight years ago. In 2010, it established a joint venture to build EVs with ZAP.
Besides the re-badged Aptera 2e, Jonway also showcased both a gasoline and an electric version of the A380 SUV as well as a microvan called "Wuxing" (meaning "five stars").
