RBW EV Cars, recent recipient of a US$13-million investment, wants to assemble 250 MGBs per year in Virginia
- Britain’s RBW EV Cars is turning part of a recent $18-million investment into plans to expand to the U.S.
- The company builds MGB-aping EVs using all-new bodies and components—they go for $187,000 a pop
- Its new facility in Virginia should come online early 2025 and turn out 250-plus new-old EVs per year
RBW’s two product lines are its RBW Roadster and RBW GT; they’re priced at US$139,000 (CDN$187,000) for the former, and US$151,000 (CDN$203,000) for the latter. The new bodies come from British Motor Heritage, and the batteries are from Turntide, also in the U.K. What RBW brings to the table, besides vehicle assembly, is a patented electric motor mounted in the rear sub-frame.
Since output of the RBWs comes out to about 210 horsepower – twice what U.S.-spec MGBs used to boast back in their heyday – running gear like the brakes have been upgraded to VW Golf discs, and the suspension is now of the coil-over type. To go along with all this modern goodness is a touchscreen on the dash, digital instruments, air conditioning, and bespoke paint and interior finishes. Range is estimated at about 150 miles (240 km) per charge; and top speed is limited to 90 mph (145 km/h).
If RBW gets its way, the new Virginia plant will employ some 144 craftspeople, building not only bespoke cars but also EV motors and components for use in other manufacturers’ vehicles. The schedule is set for the facility to be operational by the first quarter of 2025; for it to turn out 250-plus cars per year; and for RWB to look at new, future models by 2026. We haven’t heard anything about Canadian availability, but when we do, we’ll let you know.
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