B-ON to Produce Electric Light Commercial Vehicles at Karma Automotive's California Plant

B–ON, an electric vehicle (EV) solutions provider, has announced plans to produce fully electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs) at Karma Automotive's facility in California. Karma's 555,000 sq ft Innovation and Customization Center (KICC) will produce an initial run of delivery truck vehicles for B–ON in 2023, with pre-production beginning in July.

The facility, with capacity to produce up to 30,000 vehicles annually, will run a full-scale production starting from 2024, as B–ON continues to grow its US, Canada, and Latin American presence.

The KICC offers a comprehensive range of vehicle manufacturing, engineering, and customisation services.

It Includes complete vehicle assembly with full paint capabilities, and is further supported by engineering, homologation testing, vehicle certification, and supply chain management services.

Founded in 2014, Karma Automotive is a southern California based producer of luxury electric vehicles.

It is headquartered in Irvine, California, with a production facility located in Moreno Valley,

B-On recently announced the appointment of Joerg Hofmann as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Prior to joining B–ON, Hofmann served three and a half years as chief executive at Geely subsidiary London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC)

Stefan Krause, Founder, Chairman and CEO of B–ON, says: "Demand for our electric light commercial vehicles is quickly expected to outstrip our capacity to build them in Germany alone. We knew we would need to expand production capacity this year, and Karma's facility in California perfectly positions us to address the booming North and South American markets while also giving us access to their world-class workforce and capabilities."

"It's abundantly clear to us at Karma that the market for electric commercial vehicles is poised for rapid growth," adds Jeff Wawryzniak, CEO of Karma Automotive. "B–ON's product is a proven winner in this market, and we are proud to be partnering with B-ON to be the exclusive manufacturer in North America of their last mile delivery vehicles. Their product combined with our existing technical expertise and Customized Flexible Manufacturing operational capabilities as an OEM is a recipe for success, both in 2023 and down the line as the partnership grows."

B–ON is a full-service solution provider for fleet electrification, providing access to tried and tested electric vehicles plus the entire ecosystem of supporting services needed to electrify any fleet.