Click on the photo of AEV President Scott Thornton and the Kurrent for a high-res gallery of photos from AutoblogGreen's visit to the AEV factory

Traverse City, Michigan gets pretty touristy in the summertime, and this year some of those visitors can cruise the sights in a zero-emission Kurrent powered by renewable energy. E Company will begin offering two- and four-seat NEVs for rent from their base in the Traverse City railroad depot where new solar panels will soon be installed, according to the AP. The city government could get behind the plan for the cars if it endorses a proposal to allow the cars to park free at city meters.

Parking might be free, but the car'll cost ya: a half-day rental for the two-seater will be $60. Whew.



[Source: The Examiner]

Click on the photo of AEV President Scott Thornton and the Kurrent for a high-res gallery of photos from our visit to the AEV factory

Mix an old non-descript suburban Detroit warehouse with some new Ikea furniture and fixtures, throw in some entrepreneurs with extensive auto industry experience and a plan to attack an environmentally conscious market niche and you have American Electric Vehicles (AEV). AEV President Scott Thornton invited AutoblogGreen to visit their factory in Ferndale, MI to see their production process and drive their first product, the Kurrent neighborhood electric vehicle.

ABG talked to Scott in late December about his company, the Kurrent, but this was the first opportunity to see this Italian-designed NEV in person. The Ferndale warehouse serves as headquarters, engineering facility, parts warehouse and assembly plant for AEV. Most of the staff are auto industry veterans, including Thornton who has 27 years in the business, much of it with Jeep. Right now, apart from the office areas, the build is divided into two main areas, with one being used for parts storage and the other for assembly and testing. As production ramps up through this year, the parts storage area will be switched over to a second assembly area. Continue reading about the assembly process and driving impressions after the jump.