An initial order of 100 vehicles has been placed by ElecTruckCity, 40 of which have already been sold to French customers.
ElecTruckCity has been set up by Frederic Deret, President of Logistics giant Deret Group, and Michel Albrand, former President of MAN France. Paris-based ElecTruckCity is the sole distributor of Modec vehicles in France.
Having recently become the first electric commercial vehicle to gain EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval, Modec vehicles can now be sold in volume in any EU member state.
Bill Gillespie, Chief Executive of Modec, is delighted to announce Modec's French distributor, "International demand for Modec is extremely strong. ElecTruckCity has taken the lead by setting up a distribution network in France and we are very excited about the future of the French market." Gillespie added, "At a time when the automotive industry is full of doom and gloom we are pleased to announce our international expansion. This proves the future of the UK auto industry is green."
Frédéric Deret, President of Deret Group, discovered Modec at the Commercial Vehicle Show in 2007, "As soon as I saw the iconic vehicle I knew the demand for Modec would be strong in France." Mr Deret added, "The launch of ElecTruckCity is a significant milestone for the French commercial vehicle market. The interest in electric vehicles is significant and with Modec we can meet the needs of urban vehicle operators."
Unlike fuel cell vehicles or electric cars, electric commercial vehicles like Modec are available today. Each vehicle saves over nine tonnes CO2 per year, which has significantly reduced emissions from Modec customers such as Tesco, FedEx and UPS. Over 200 vehicles are now on the road and production is set to increase in the near future.
Modec is ramping up production. Strong demand from customers like ElecTruckCity has instigated a recruitment program at Modec. Most recently the manufacturing team has been welcomed five new members and Modec is due to operate with a double shift from 2010.