Luxury electric car company unveils Midwest factory among vehicle rollouts

A luxury electric car company that has been quietly lurking the background made a grand entrance to the forefront of news Wednesday when it unveiled two new cars. The Silicon Valley-based startup SF Motors revealed two models in development at the red carpet event in Santa Clara, California, according to that state’s KTVU news channel. Apparently ready to compete with the likes of Tesla in the Bay Area, SF Motors showed off its pair of luxury SUV models – the SF5 and SF7 – that will be produced in 2019 and 2020, respectively. SF Motors’ Chief Strategy Officer Martin Eberhard, a co-founder of Tesla, regaled the crowd Wednesday with a video greeting. “What you’re building today is the legacy you’ll leave for your children tomorrow,” Eberhard said. The company purchased a Mishawaka, Indiana plant in October of 2017 that acted as a former factory for Humvees and Mercedes. CEO John Zhang said the Midwest hub will have a big role in not only helping the company’s supply chain, but giving it a base in the region with an ever-growing tech sector. “Our technology is driving everything and that is why we’re headquartered in Silicon Valley and supported by a strong presence in the Midwest to leverage that region’s technology and engineering expertise,” said Zhang. Another manufacturing plant has been installed in Chonqing, China, according to the KTVU report. Both the China and Indiana plants are expected to employ more than 3,000 employees combined. With an estimated annual output of 200,000 vehicles per year, the two plants can produce multiple models at the same time, said Chief Production Officer Jim Finn. The cars can reportedly go 300 miles off a single charge via a system that boasts four electric motors. The luxury design also includes a camera in place of a rearview mirror. As of now, however, there has been no price tag released for either model.