Mullen Automotive still plans to bring the Chinese-developed Qiantu K50 electric supercar to the US, but now under a different name and different assembly location.
The US version of the K50 will henceforth be known as the Mullen GT and GTRS, Mullen announced Monday in a press release. The company says it has also revised the styling of the K50, also known as the Dragonfly K50, to better suit other planned models, and applied powertrain upgrades that allow acceleration from zero to zero. -100 km/h in 1.95 seconds and reach top speed. “exceeding 200 mph.”
Mullen’s Qiantu K50
Mullen said it will “finish engineering to US standards” and conduct final assembly in Mishawaka, Indiana. The company acquired a factory there that was once used to build the Hummer when it bought the assets of failed EV startup Electric Last Mile Solutions (ELMS). The ELMS business model also relies on adapting the design of electric vehicles for the Chinese market to US standards, in this case delivery trucks.
Mullen did not discuss a timeline for the launch of the GT and GTRS in the US, but the project has been brewing for some time. Mullen shows Quirky, well-rounded K50 at the 2019 New York auto show and announced plans to assemble 1,000 units in the US. Initially, the company planned to assemble the K50 in a facility in Washington statebut plans for that facility were abandoned.
Mullen’s Qiantu K50, New York Auto Show 2019
Mullen originally intended to bring the K50 to the US with the battery Electric SUV named MX-05, both in 2021. Since then, the automaker has tweaked its plans to include a range of electric vehicle models, including several commercial vehicles. It begins this journey with the purchase the rest of Coda—and it is said that some aspects of Coda, such as the company’s battery management system, have become assets as Mullen moves forward.
In addition to this performance car, Mullen also plans a Five performance SUV and a capable Class 1 electric van based on the ELMS vehicle, and it has a majority stake in Bollinger. It also plans to build Five and Bollinger B1 and B2 trucks in Indiana, while Type 1 electric trucks will be assembled in Tunica, Mississippi.
