Aurica Motors
Encyclopedia
Aurica Motors, LLC is a start-up based out of Santa Clara, California
that develops a proprietary electronic power train called the Aurica Recurve for electric car
s. The company has stated its intention to partner with other investors to manufacture electric cars that utilize its electronic power train system. Aurica Motors is an offshoot of Aurica Labs, a research and development company started and funded by physicist Greg Bender.
On March 10, 2010, Aurica Motors was thrust into the public spotlight with the announcement of its intentions to save the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) automotive plant in Fremont, California
from completely shutting down.
The NUMMI plant, a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors
, opened in 1984 as an experiment to determine if unionized Americans could adapt Japan
ese production management practices. The plant rolled out its last vehicle on April 1, 2010, forcing 4,700 factory workers out and likely affecting thousands of part suppliers.
In the same March announcement, Aurica also stated its intention to work with the NUMMI workforce to retrain it for electric car development and find financial backing to retool the plant.
On May 20, 2010, both Tesla Motors
and Toyota announced a joint effort to manufacture Tesla's electric vehicles at the former NUMMI plant. Under the agreement Toyota bought $50 million of common stock
from Tesla Motors. Tesla then purchased a portion of the NUMMI property including the plant with the goal of retrofitting and manufacturing the plant for its future “smaller third-generation car,” seemingly putting an end to Aurica's bid for the NUMMI plant.
in California on March 15, 2010. Five days earlier, the start-up publicly announced its long-term desire to save the NUMMI factory and thousands of plant and supplier jobs. “We want to keep the plant open, and we believe we have a very viable plan to do so by manufacturing electric cars,” said Matt Pitagora, general manager of Aurica. “It's all about keeping the lights on.”
Aurica said that it would finance such an endeavor with an aggressive campaign to garner Federal economic stimulus funding and find investors. The company estimated that it would need nearly $1 billion in combined financing to retrain workers and get the factory up and running. Aurica claimed to have began negotiating with NUMMI in early 2010 to discuss the plant’s future but a plant spokesman said on March 10 that “there has not been an opportunity for productive discussions with Aurica.”
Pitagora has so far refused to release details to the public on current investors and amount of financing already obtained.
On March 30, 2010, Aurica released a press release stating that it had gained two new partnerships to further their goals. The company announced that it partnered with the Clean Tech Institute (CTI) of San Jose, California
to develop training curriculum on electric auto manufacturing with the intent of offering it to NUMMI plant staff. CTI released further details on its Web site indicating that it would offer two different intensive programs to NUMMI staff: a photovoltaic specialist course and a more entry-level electrical systems course.
Aurica also announced a partnership with Motive Industries, a specialized vehicle manufacturer based in Calgary, Canada. Motive has already supplied a series of concept car designs to Aurica for public display.
With the May 20, 2010 announcement of the purchase of the NUMMI plant by Tesla Motors, Aurica's bid to purchase the factory ended. However Aurica stated on its Web site that it would still attempt to work with former NUMMI employees to retrain them for “work manufacturing Aurica electric cars in the Silicon Valley.” The startup hasn't made it clear if it has alternative manufacturing sites in its future plans.
s connected to the wheels. The company states that the primary benefit is that “power doesn’t have to be transferred mechanically” to the wheels with such a system.
Aurica hopes to implement its Recurve Drive System into what it’s calling the Aurica E-Car. The E-Car would have a standardized frame and drive system that would allow multiple body types to be fit on the chassis
, even allowing for customized car and light truck bodies.
According to Aurica, each car would be run by its Power Exchange Package (PEP), an optimized, swappable and rechargeable battery
pack that, when combined with its proprietary drive technology, would last up to twice as long as it would on its own. The battery could be recharged at home or swapped out at a special Aurica recharging station “in three minutes or less.” Aurica touts that its recharging stations would be powered with green energy.
The company also states that the car would optimally have regenerative braking, true radial steering, and an all-wheel drive system. No prototype
s have been built, though auto designs have been posted by the company.
Edward Niedermeyer, journalist and editor-in-chief of The Truth About Cars, doubted Aurica’s business plan, saying: “The idea that NUMMI’s 500k unit capacity could be used to build EVs 'within two years' as Aurica’s reps suggest, is laughable …especially considering that the $40k+ EV market already has a healthy number of contenders.” Despite this criticism, it now appears that regardless of the unit volume capacity of the NUMMI facility, the May 20, 2010 purchase of the plant by Tesla Motors indicates that electric cars will be built there, albeit by Toyota and Tesla rather than Aurica Motors.
In an interview with the Oakland Tribune, NUMMI spokesman Lance Tomasu indicated that through the limited negations conducted with Aurica, he is “not sure whether their proposal is viable” enough to come up with the more than half billion dollars it would take to retrofit
the plant.
John O’Dell of Green Car Advisor questioned how Aurica would be able to afford to run the 5300000 square feet (492,386.1 m²) NUMMI plant, estimating nearly $50 million a year in electricity costs alone. O’Dell also referenced a review of the plant by Tesla Motors
, indicating that Tesla turned down an offer to utilize it because it was “about 10 times the size of a facility Tesla would need” to manufacture its cars. Despite this comment, Tesla Motors went on to buy the NUMMI plant in a joint venture with Toyota on May 20, 2010. Ricardo Reyes, a spokesman for Tesla, indicated to the New York Times that the plant's ability to manufacture “500,000 cars a year” made it attractive “as an investment in the future.”
Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
that develops a proprietary electronic power train called the Aurica Recurve for electric car
Electric car
An electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
s. The company has stated its intention to partner with other investors to manufacture electric cars that utilize its electronic power train system. Aurica Motors is an offshoot of Aurica Labs, a research and development company started and funded by physicist Greg Bender.
On March 10, 2010, Aurica Motors was thrust into the public spotlight with the announcement of its intentions to save the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI) automotive plant in Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
from completely shutting down.
The NUMMI plant, a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, opened in 1984 as an experiment to determine if unionized Americans could adapt Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese production management practices. The plant rolled out its last vehicle on April 1, 2010, forcing 4,700 factory workers out and likely affecting thousands of part suppliers.
In the same March announcement, Aurica also stated its intention to work with the NUMMI workforce to retrain it for electric car development and find financial backing to retool the plant.
On May 20, 2010, both Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Silicon Valley-based company that designs, manufactures and sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components. It was the only automaker building and selling a zero-emission sports car, the Tesla Roadster, in serial production...
and Toyota announced a joint effort to manufacture Tesla's electric vehicles at the former NUMMI plant. Under the agreement Toyota bought $50 million of common stock
Common stock
Common stock is a form of corporate equity ownership, a type of security. It is called "common" to distinguish it from preferred stock. In the event of bankruptcy, common stock investors receive their funds after preferred stock holders, bondholders, creditors, etc...
from Tesla Motors. Tesla then purchased a portion of the NUMMI property including the plant with the goal of retrofitting and manufacturing the plant for its future “smaller third-generation car,” seemingly putting an end to Aurica's bid for the NUMMI plant.
History and Financing
Aurica Motors was registered as a limited liability companyLimited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
in California on March 15, 2010. Five days earlier, the start-up publicly announced its long-term desire to save the NUMMI factory and thousands of plant and supplier jobs. “We want to keep the plant open, and we believe we have a very viable plan to do so by manufacturing electric cars,” said Matt Pitagora, general manager of Aurica. “It's all about keeping the lights on.”
Aurica said that it would finance such an endeavor with an aggressive campaign to garner Federal economic stimulus funding and find investors. The company estimated that it would need nearly $1 billion in combined financing to retrain workers and get the factory up and running. Aurica claimed to have began negotiating with NUMMI in early 2010 to discuss the plant’s future but a plant spokesman said on March 10 that “there has not been an opportunity for productive discussions with Aurica.”
Pitagora has so far refused to release details to the public on current investors and amount of financing already obtained.
On March 30, 2010, Aurica released a press release stating that it had gained two new partnerships to further their goals. The company announced that it partnered with the Clean Tech Institute (CTI) of San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
to develop training curriculum on electric auto manufacturing with the intent of offering it to NUMMI plant staff. CTI released further details on its Web site indicating that it would offer two different intensive programs to NUMMI staff: a photovoltaic specialist course and a more entry-level electrical systems course.
Aurica also announced a partnership with Motive Industries, a specialized vehicle manufacturer based in Calgary, Canada. Motive has already supplied a series of concept car designs to Aurica for public display.
With the May 20, 2010 announcement of the purchase of the NUMMI plant by Tesla Motors, Aurica's bid to purchase the factory ended. However Aurica stated on its Web site that it would still attempt to work with former NUMMI employees to retrain them for “work manufacturing Aurica electric cars in the Silicon Valley.” The startup hasn't made it clear if it has alternative manufacturing sites in its future plans.
Technology and Products
Aurica’s base technology appears to be its Recurve Drive System, an “extended range, variable speed motor controller” that attaches to four independent electric motorElectric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s connected to the wheels. The company states that the primary benefit is that “power doesn’t have to be transferred mechanically” to the wheels with such a system.
Aurica hopes to implement its Recurve Drive System into what it’s calling the Aurica E-Car. The E-Car would have a standardized frame and drive system that would allow multiple body types to be fit on the chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
, even allowing for customized car and light truck bodies.
According to Aurica, each car would be run by its Power Exchange Package (PEP), an optimized, swappable and rechargeable battery
Rechargeable battery
A rechargeable battery or storage battery is a group of one or more electrochemical cells. They are known as secondary cells because their electrochemical reactions are electrically reversible. Rechargeable batteries come in many different shapes and sizes, ranging anything from a button cell to...
pack that, when combined with its proprietary drive technology, would last up to twice as long as it would on its own. The battery could be recharged at home or swapped out at a special Aurica recharging station “in three minutes or less.” Aurica touts that its recharging stations would be powered with green energy.
The company also states that the car would optimally have regenerative braking, true radial steering, and an all-wheel drive system. No prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
s have been built, though auto designs have been posted by the company.
Criticism
Since Aurica’s announcement to save the NUMMI plant and the jobs associated with it, some critics have questioned the viability of the plan.Edward Niedermeyer, journalist and editor-in-chief of The Truth About Cars, doubted Aurica’s business plan, saying: “The idea that NUMMI’s 500k unit capacity could be used to build EVs 'within two years' as Aurica’s reps suggest, is laughable …especially considering that the $40k+ EV market already has a healthy number of contenders.” Despite this criticism, it now appears that regardless of the unit volume capacity of the NUMMI facility, the May 20, 2010 purchase of the plant by Tesla Motors indicates that electric cars will be built there, albeit by Toyota and Tesla rather than Aurica Motors.
In an interview with the Oakland Tribune, NUMMI spokesman Lance Tomasu indicated that through the limited negations conducted with Aurica, he is “not sure whether their proposal is viable” enough to come up with the more than half billion dollars it would take to retrofit
Retrofit
Retrofitting refers to the addition of new technology or features to older systems.* power plant retrofit, improving power plant efficiency / increasing output / reducing emissions...
the plant.
John O’Dell of Green Car Advisor questioned how Aurica would be able to afford to run the 5300000 square feet (492,386.1 m²) NUMMI plant, estimating nearly $50 million a year in electricity costs alone. O’Dell also referenced a review of the plant by Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors
Tesla Motors, Inc. is a Silicon Valley-based company that designs, manufactures and sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components. It was the only automaker building and selling a zero-emission sports car, the Tesla Roadster, in serial production...
, indicating that Tesla turned down an offer to utilize it because it was “about 10 times the size of a facility Tesla would need” to manufacture its cars. Despite this comment, Tesla Motors went on to buy the NUMMI plant in a joint venture with Toyota on May 20, 2010. Ricardo Reyes, a spokesman for Tesla, indicated to the New York Times that the plant's ability to manufacture “500,000 cars a year” made it attractive “as an investment in the future.”