The Carbon Motors Corporation was an American automobile manufacturer headquartered in Connersville, Indiana, United States. Formed in 2003, Carbon Motors was notable for designing the Carbon Motors E7, a purpose-built police car.[1] After a government loan request failed, the company closed in 2013.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founders | Stacy Dean Stephens William Santana Li |
| Defunct | April 2013 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | United States |
Key people | William Santana Li (CEO) |
| Products | E7 Police car |
| Website | carbonmotors.com |
History
editCarbon Motors Corporation was founded in Los Angeles, California, by Stacy Dean Stephens and William Santana Li (a former police officer and former Ford executive, respectively) in 2003.[2] Carbon Motors Corporation moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2006,[3] where it continued to develop its product and gain investors. In July 2009, the company relocated their headquarters to Connersville, Indiana, with plans to invest $350 million into converting a former Visteon plant there.[4][5]
On March 22, 2010, Carbon Motors signed a contract with BMW for the delivery of 240,000 six-cylinder diesel engines.[6]
On March 7, 2012, media reported that the United States Department of Energy (DOE) had denied a loan request of $310 million applied for under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program with Energy Secretary Steven Chu stating that while the DOE would have liked to approve the loan, there was "a responsibility to the taxpayers and they need to make sure it’s written in the statute that there's a reasonable chance of repayment."[7] Carbon Motors officials had worked with the DOE over the prior two years to address concerns about Carbon Motors' plans.[7] Carbon Motors criticized the DOE's reasons for refusing the loan as politically motivated and related to the 2012 elections.[7] Another Indiana startup, Bright Automotive, was forced to end operations the week before after applying for the same loan in 2008 and being unable to continue waiting for the DOE to act on the application.[7] On March 13, 2012, Secretary Chu testified before a Senate hearing partly related to claims made by Carbon Motors CEO William Santana Li regarding the politicization of loans granted by the DOE stating "Politics is not a factor, period. It has to do with the finances of the company, the viability of the loan."
In early March 2013, Carbon Motors began to remove equipment and vacate the plant in Connersville. The lease on the plant was allowed to expire on March 31, 2013.[8] The company's website and YouTube channel were taken down around the same time.[9] By April 2013, the company effectively shut down.[10]
On May 22, 2013, three former Carbon Motors executives filed a lawsuit against the company for unpaid, deferred wages.[11]
Carbon Motors E7
editCarbon Motors was formed to develop and produce the E7, the first purpose-built police car ever made. The E7 was to be only available for law enforcement agencies to purchase. The prototype was first revealed in 2008 on the "Pure Justice" tour. The E7 had an expected release date of 2012. It was designed in part by American law enforcement officers for the sole purpose of producing a vehicle to be most effective to police.[12] The company stated that, in order to keep the vehicle out of private ownership, when an agency wishes to dispose of an E7, it would either be sold to another law enforcement agency or returned to the factory to be parted out.[13] The price was intended to be competitive considering the cost of equipping a conventional car for police work and how long each vehicle lasts. The Carbon E7 was to be built to last 250,000 miles, compared with 75,000 to 120,000 miles for the typical patrol car.
Specifications
editThe vehicle was to be equipped with a BMW straight-six turbo-diesel engine, which was more fuel efficient than contemporary gasoline engine police car engines. It was designed to be rear wheel drive, have a six-speed automatic transmission, be governed to a top speed of 155 mph, and accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. It also featured numerous safety features, including 75 mph rear-impact crash capability, and optional ballistic protection panels. The vehicle also had law enforcement equipment designed into the vehicle intended to be installed during production so agencies would not need to purchase equipment from other companies and then install them on the vehicle.[14] The front seats of the E7 were designed for comfort while wearing a duty belt.[15]
Equipment
editAccording to Carbon Motors Corporation, the E7 was to have numerous features and options available, including:[16]
- NIJ Level III-A (or better) ballistic protection (front doors and dash panel)
- Purpose-designed seat for use with on-body equipment and seat heating and ventilation
- Head-up display
- Reverse backup camera
- Remote start capability
- Engine features to enable extended idling as well as operating in extreme conditions (heat and cold)
- Driver-specific intelligent key
- 360 degree exterior surveillance capability, with fully automatic recording
- Automatic number-plate recognition, programmable and upgradeable
- Video and audio surveillance of rear passenger compartment
- Nightvision compliant interior illumination
- Integrated forward looking infrared system (FLIR)
- Integrated shotgun and rifle mounts
- Secure weapons storage
- Optimized storage capability (compartment and cargo), to store police gear ranging from spare restraints to forensic equipment
- Integrated front and rear passenger compartment partition
- Isolated ventilation for front and rear compartments
- Rear seats designed to accommodate handcuffed suspects/prisoners
- Security features to prevent escape of prisoners
- Rear passenger compartment designed to be washed by hosing down
- Integrated push bumpers and PIT capability
- Integrated aerodynamic emergency lights with sirens
In popular culture
editThe Carbon E7 is featured in the 2010 video game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit as one of the vehicles available for use when playing as a police officer. While most other playable vehicles (such as the Ford Crown Victoria, Dodge Charger, and other well-known vehicles) have performance statistics such as top speed listed, most of the E7's statistics are listed as "CLASSIFIED". However, the vehicle was removed from the remastered version of the game released in 2020 due to Carbon being defunct and the car never entering production.[17]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Who Needs the Big 3? Atlanta Company Plans New Police Car , Fox News, December 11, 2008
- ^ "Returning to Our Roots | Police Car for Police - Carbon Motors Corporation". Archived from the original on October 7, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
- ^ "Thank You, Georgia | Police Car for Police - Carbon Motors Corporation". Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
- ^ John Russell; Tom Spalding (July 29, 2009). "Connersville successfully woos police car maker". Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
- ^ "Carbon Motors E7: Proudly Made in Indiana". Carbon Motors. July 29, 2009. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2009.
- ^ "Carbon Motors Partners with BMW Group :: Ad Hoc News". Archived from the original on September 30, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Department of Energy says 'no' to Carbon Motors' loan request for police car". Fox News. March 7, 2012. Archived from the original on June 23, 2012. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- ^ "Carbon Motors pulls equipment from Indiana plant". Indianapolis Business Journal. March 31, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ "Is Carbon Motors Dead?". Jalopnik. April 2, 2013. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
- ^ Tannert, Chuck (April 4, 2013). "Carbon Motors Creator of the E7 Diesel is Out Of Business". Road & Track. Retrieved May 9, 2013.
- ^ "Indiana". Connersville News-Examiner. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ FAQ Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Since the E7 is made solely for law enforcement, what will we do with the used vehicles? - Frequently Asked Questions, Carbon Motors Corporation - Purpose Built Police Car, Police Vehicle, E7". Archived from the original on May 29, 2009. Retrieved June 9, 2009.
- ^ Specifications Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Machine" to Clean Up Crime in 2012
- ^ Specifications-Selected Features and Options Archived December 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is missing some classic cars
https://web.archive.org/web/20100529055709/http://www.carbonmotors.com/news-releases/list/2