Electric 3-wheeled car factory, jobs coming to Mesa, Arizona

ElectraMeccanica, known for its tiny, single passenger, three-wheeled electric cars, has chosen Mesa, Arizona, as the location for its U.S. assembly and engineering plant.

The Canadian company, based in Vancouver, B.C., says the new facility will create up to 500 new jobs and potentially produce 20,000 of its flagship Solo electric vehicles each year. ElectraMeccanica calls the Solo EV an "all-electric solution for the urban environment," though it has a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 80 miles per hour, making it safe for highway use. The company said the cars sell for $18,500 and are available for pre-order on its website.

ElectraMeccanica picked Mesa, just east of Phoenix, after a more than year-long site search.

InterMeccanica, a subsidiary of ElectraMeccanica, has been building high-end specialty cars for more than 60 years.

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