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Carbon Motors' prototype cop car is crammed with technology

Norm Heikens
April 17, 2010
Keywords
Auto Industry, Automakers, Economic Development, Education & Workforce Development, Factories, Government & Economic Development, Manufacturing & Technology, Regional News, Shelby County, Shelbyville, Suppliers, Technology
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Carbon Motors Corp., the Atlanta startup carmaker that in July chose the east-central Indiana city of Connersville for its permanent headquarters and assembly plant, is still at least two years from producing its first car—a vehicle designed strictly for law enforcement. (See below for a video tour of the car's prototype.)

Key to the project is a $310 million federal loan the company hopes will be approved soon, possibly this summer. Carbon Motors has 13,000 advance orders. Chairman and CEO Bill Santana Li anticipates sourcing 70 percent of the car domestically, mostly from Indiana. Most patrol cars will roll off the assembly line priced from the mid-$40,000 to the low-$60,000 range, similar to conventional police cars. Cars loaded with all options will be significantly more expensive.

The cars will feature technology ranging from thermoplastics to automated license plate readers. About the only thing missing is a doughnut dispenser.

Click here for an annotated view of the car’s features.•

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  • Point out
    One thingSeptember 8, 2012 1:00 AM
    Crown Vic sucks this car is the most comfortable car for police sheriff and even protection company's and if you would sit in one dressed out duty belt and all you would see I set in one for about five mins and had forgot about the duty belt being on it takes the weight off and yes I'd you go to the web site you'll see 13,001 cars pre ordered they look funny but I love the things but 60,000 is a little much
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  • Really!
    BobApril 15, 2011 3:31 PM
    Was it really necessary to perpetuate a doughnut stereotype into an IBJ article? I thought this outlet had more class than that. The merits of this loan and effectiveness of this car are a serious issue to investigate and debate. Also the Crown Victoria P/Iâ??s are going away as a fleet car. Ford has 2 new P/I's coming out. One is a car the other is a small SUV. Neither has the innovations built into it like the Carbon car does, however it is very untested. If I understand them correctly the carbon car will not be available for public resale and will have to be returned or resold to Carbon for credit toward a new car. That would alleviate the look-a-like police car being driven by security companies and police impersonators.
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • Great, just what we need...
    Tax Paying CitizenApril 4, 2011 1:23 PM
    Its amazing there is always ways found to make sure our government can make money off us citizens.
    More souped up police cars to make it easier to hand out tickets for the same laws the officers handing them out break themselves.
    YAY just what our country needs...
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
  • thats funny popeye
    mikepencedoesntlike government spendingApril 20, 2010 9:51 PM
    point one - will anyone be responsible to pay this loan back?
    Point two - why is it bad if another version of crown vic carries passengers? why does that make it a bad police car?
    Point 3 - does the fact that Carbon is in Indiana make them worthy of my tax money? Isnt every company located somewhere? Bernie Madoff is in Leavenworth, do we give kansas tax money for that?

    PLEASE - keep government out of private enterprise.
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  • Carbon Motors
    PopeyeApril 20, 2010 1:42 PM
    Point #1 - $310 million federal LOAN, not a grant
    Point #2 - Carbon Motors: vehicle designed strictly for law enforcement; Crown Vic: passenger car adapted for law enforcement use
    Point #3 - Carbon Motors: headquartered and manufactured in Connersville; Crown Vic: Ford is headquartered in Michigan and car is manufactured in Talbotville, Ontario

    Carbon Motors - Welcome to Indiana
    Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • help? or governement funding
      mikepencedoesntlike government spendingApril 19, 2010 4:13 PM
      i want jobs created by private enterprise, putting their own capital at risk. Other company's may have gotten help. But this is complete funding by government. That is not the role of government. Who will pay the taxpayers back if this fails? Government needs to get out of the way. We dont need more socialism
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Let it go
      TiredofwhinersApril 19, 2010 1:23 PM
      First off many private entities have started off with government funds or grants. Do your research and you will see that the big three all had help at one time. The tax dollars put into the local economy far outweighs what the Fed is providing. Where were you when Honda got state incentives? It sounds like you want jobs created by the famous "Cut Taxes to stimulate the economy" slogan that has not been effective for 18 years.

      Secondly, Carbon motors is stating the price range is from $40k to $60k well within Fords stated range. Ford and GM have not focused on the law enforcement niche for many years putting out sub par products.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • why should government fund this
      mikepencedoesntlike government spendingApril 18, 2010 9:05 AM
      Norm Heikens continues to shamelessly shill for this company. But why should my tax dollars fund this private company to compete with a free enterprise, non government funded company.? If this is such a good idea, where are the venture capitalists? This is a sinkhole for my tax dollars. It is pitiful that "conservatives" in Indiana are in favor, solely because it is in their district.

      Keep government out of startup businesses!

      Let me repeat; if this is such a good idea, where are the venture capitalists?
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • Your Wrong
      ChristopherApril 18, 2010 
      This car by the way costs just as much as the crown vic with everything added onto it! The thing about this car is that mileage is 10 times better, car is designed for police use, crown vic is not its a sedan designed for families in mind! This car will save lives and that is why there is 13,000 on hold!
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • But who can afford it?
      GreenacresApril 17, 2010 8:28 AM
      I don't believe for a minute that Carbon Motors has 13,000 advance orders. This is a car that is too expensive, cannot be serviced except by Carbon, and has no operational credibility. The Crown Vic will continue to be the choice for most law enforcement agencies simply because it fulfills 90% of perceived needs; it is relatively inexpensive, less than half what a Carbon will probably cost (and final price for the Carbon car has never been officially announced though it is expected to be in the $60K range). I see smoke and mirrors....
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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    1. liek the rest of America

    2. These quaint,obsessed musings by the stalkers are certainly entertaining, but I'm trying to figure out what, if anything, all the yelping below has to do with Zak Brown.

    3. It's evident that Moffett was pushing the right buttons and corporate America is now trying to squash him. He just wanted to withdraw the free pilot services provided to the company by the pilots to try and put some pressure on a company that has not been interested in negotiating a contract in over 5 years. The company does not provide a contract because not having one has saved them a bundle of money. Shame on any Republic pilots not standing behind their union leader just because things are getting tough, can you not see such strategic moves by the company as putting the last union president in a corporate position and into THEIR pocket. Do you really believe the last union president is so appalled at the attempts by Moffett, do you not remember his oppositions to the company? We stood behind him. It has been proven over and over again for thousands of years without fail, a man cannot serve two masters. Anyone that believes people vote contrary to their paycheck and livelihood deserve to be taken advantage of, the recent statements by the former union president are laughable as he denounces the current union president from his new corporate position. Have you ever seen a drafted sports player score points for his previous team, it cannot be done, he is not on the pilots side anymore, he gets his money a different way now than you and I do, and he should not be allowed to remain on the seniority list. A drafted player brings strength, credibility, tactical knowledge, and a strategic advantage to his NEW team, he would not be drafted or paid were it otherwise. We are all forced to choose only one side to play for and support, not doing so has many references in life such as insider trading and shaving points, all illegal for good reason. This basic fact is why corporate moguls, scientist, and engineers all sign non-discloser agreements and non-compete clauses, as protection in case they are lured into switching sides as our former union president has done. No NFL coach ever drafted a player so that both teams could benefit and better understand each other, they are recruited to win the game against that former team, period. Likewise the company does not recruit the former union president by accident or mutual understanding, its strategy. Don't confuse playing the game with good sportsman-like conduct in support of common business and prosperity goals, with the requirement to only play for one side. Good men we all love and favor fall subject to this manipulation, often without their knowledge, and it is not a betrayal of their friendship to oppose them when they switch sides. If we did not love and trust them, they would not have been chosen and lured to the other side in the first place. The deception by the drafted player is not made at a conscious level, it's just human nature and it's all about money and power which corrupts our ability to be objective and loyal to two masters. This is why our court system created the defense attorney, and why our military created counter intelligence. Its strategy and its propaganda, and it works, and that's why the "powers to be" manipulate the chess pieces by sometimes changing their colors. Some players know they are being manipulated when their color is changed, but it brings them more money and power so they do not care. The rest have good intentions but do not even realize they are being manipulated. This tactic is also known by another name, Divide and Conquer. In battle sending an imperfect message with an imperfect team is obviously not ideal, but it's still being sent by YOUR team, your union leader, a leader that has common goals and common rewards with you, they are the best, because we have elected them to do a job for us. If you are not backing Moffett but believing the spin by those that have recently switched sides, you are taking food out of your own mouth. Showing unity and backing an imperfect situation still results in taking just as much ground, it's about unity and bargaining power. It's not necessary to wait around for that perfect attack because it will never come, the company will spin and attempt to destroy anyone that gets in their way. Ultimately it's not about any specific attack anyway, ASAP or whatever it makes no difference, it is and always has been only about power. If this company cared about safety it would not build pairings with 8 hour overnights, come on, are you that naive? Besides, do you really think Hoffa cares, no, he got a call from corporate America and was squeezed into denouncing Moffett. If he didn't they would spin the safety card against him and the Teamsters National with implication for truckers, future contracts, insurance rates etc...saying something like the Teamsters use safety as a bargaining chip, blah blah blah... Do you really think any pilot is going to do something unsafe for the contract, absolutely not, the only ones threatening safety here is the company with reduced rest, fatigue, and poverty. Do you not find it odd that Hoffa and the Teamsters are opposing a Teamster president publicly? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and work with one of their own? Why did they not sit down and help him strategize, correct any mistakes, and charge ahead? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and leverage a contract for all those pilots that have been paying Teamster dues, isn't that why we have all been paying Teamster dues in the first place? I sure haven't been paying dues so that the Teamsters National could come along and write this kind of an article undercutting our union leader and our unity. Whose side is the Teamsters National really on, it's obviously not the Republic pilots side.

    4. No matter what Moffatt does the company is going to spin it like he is the terrorist and brainwash people like you into believing it, wake up, back your players that are trying to change things for you and your livelihood. Where has Hoffa been for the last 6 years, except collecting our dues. Seriously, do you really think an FO going for upgrade, signed off by a checkairman ready for the upgrade, who then fails, is not even capable of returning as a First Officer.

    5. whoa!

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