MORENO VALLEY, Calif. – The Karma Innovation and Customization Center (KICC) revealed the first Club Car Current vehicles being produced under a contract manufacturing agreement with AYRO, Inc. (NASDAQ: AYRO). These light-duty electric vehicles (EVs) fill the gap between full-sized trucks and small utility carts for low-speed logistics and cargo services in campus and urban environments. Karma and AYRO previously announced the formation of a partnership to produce vehicles under the arrangement.
The relationship with AYRO is part of Karma Automotive’s ongoing business-to-business (B2B) initiatives, utilizing KICC and the company’s OEM expertise and capabilities, to provide manufacturing, engineering, design, and other services to customers in the mobility space.
By combining AYRO’s end-user, market intelligence and engineering expertise with KICC’s manufacturing capabilities and development experience, the companies aim to deliver light-duty trucks and electric delivery vehicles to businesses across the U.S. The Club Car Current is engineered for multiple bed options and accessories—van box, pickup truck with sides, flatbed configurations—for fleet versatility. It is also certified under California’s California Air Resource Board (CARB) Certification Program with “cleanest” scores for global warming and air quality of zero emission vehicles, making it an ideal solution for the local market. .
“Having the first of these vehicles roll off the line at our KICC facility is a great step forward in our relationship with AYRO and Club Car and will help us deliver on our Climate Pledge efforts to become net-zero by 2040,” said Dr. Lance Zhou, Karma’s Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to growing our B2B business and delivering clean energy vehicles for other customers in the future.”
Karma Chief of Staff, Mikael Elley, said, “KICC’s strategic Southern California location near major supply routes, combined with our expertise and proximity to one of the largest electric vehicle markets, makes us an attractive partner. Our proven capabilities and quick turnaround times enable us to work with a wide range of customers—including startups and traditional automakers—to make their products succeed.”
“Karma is helping us meet strong demand from our fleet customers in delivering the initial run of vehicles from their Moreno Valley facility despite supply chain hurdles impacting production for the rest of the industry,” said AYRO CEO Rod Keller. “These purpose-built electric vehicles are fully customizable, affordable and available now, delivering on our brand promise to provide real-world solutions that meet the needs of businesses of all types.”
“Karma has done a fantastic job in meeting tight deadlines, and their plant exceeded our rigorous quality standards in assembling the new 2022 Club Car Current,” said Club Car Commercial Leader, Brant Mitchell. “The Current features new options for improved safety and comfort in the same compact, customizable design that universities, restaurants, governments, hospitals, hotel resorts, sports stadiums, and airports across the U.S. have come to love.”
