ElectraMeccanica says the first SOLO electric cars arrive in US; six retail locations to open by Thanksgiving

ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp (NASDAQ:SOLO) announced Thursday that an initial shipment of production SOLO electric vehicles have arrived in the US and the company plans to open six new retail locations in the country over the next month. The first shipment of the company’s flagship three-wheeled EV have been designated for corporate use in marketing, advertising and retail activities. The first two of the newly arrived SOLOs were introduced at a ‘ride-and-drive’ press event in Los Angeles earlier this month, where reporters were able to go for a test ride and “Drive SOLO” alongside CEO Paul Rivera. ElectraMeccanica also used vehicles from the first batch to test the international shipping logistics and port processing. Vehicles are currently being used for similar corporate and marketing purposes, as well as ongoing road verification and testing, the company said. READ: ElectraMeccanica says its US EV assembly facility will be located either in Arizona or Tennessee Electrameccanica also announced that it is expanding its retail footprint with six new locations  in addition to its four current locations. The new sites will be strategically positioned alongside notable name-brand stores and are expected to open by Thanksgiving.  The locations are as follows: San Diego, CA – Westfield UTC Brea, CA – Brea Mall Scottsdale, AZ – Kierland Commons (seasonal) Glendale, AZ – Arrowhead Towne Center Santa Clara, CA – Westfield Valley Fair Mall Walnut Creek, CA – Broadway Plaza “I am pleased to share that the first production SOLO EVs have officially made it onto US soil,” CEO Paul Rivera said in a statement. “Consistent with our roll out strategy, the first wave off the line will be used specifically for high ROI activities, including marketing, retail distribution, customer test drives and fleet demonstrations.” ElectraMeccanica officially began production of the SOLO EV in late August alongside its manufacturing partner and strategic investor, Zongshen Industrial Group. “We are continuing with our planned, methodical ramp up in production to ensure quality and consistency,” Rivera said. “While we have encountered certain hurdles through this growth process, our team is hard at work making select supply chain and technical improvements. We have extended our customer delivery schedule into early 2021. Safety, customer care and the ‘Drive SOLO’ experience are paramount. With the help of our experienced partner, we are confident we can continue to move quickly and meet our increasing customer demand.” Engineered for a single occupant, the SOLO has a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 80 mph, making it safe for highways. The EV features front and rear crumple zones, side impact protection, roll bar, torque-limiting control, as well as power steering, power brakes, air conditioning and a Bluetooth entertainment system.  Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel