A secretive new transportation-focused tech company with domestic operations based here is looking to make its mark in the electric vehicle market.
Neuron EV last week disclosed it is currently developing a line of new energy vehicles “with plans for an unveiling in the fourth quarter of 2019.”
It also is looking to develop a product it calls the Multipurpose Autonomous Platform, or MAP.
The self-motorized platform “mounts structures of various sizes for the purpose of transporting them from one location to another. Its size can be adjusted to suit a specific task, such as being a vehicle for passengers, a transport for cargo, or a temporary residence for travelers, to name a few,” according to a company statement last week.
The primary goal of MAP “is to make static structures mobile, thereby expanding their functionality. It’s designed to be compatible with standard shipping containers,” the company said.
Potential uses of MAP, according to the company: converting “a simple shipping container into an autonomous mobile residence,” and modernizing “a parking garage to house MAP units and transform it into a mobile high rise.”
Shanghai Funds
A time frame for any of its early-stage product’s launches weren’t disclosed by the company, whose corporate details have been kept under wraps to date. It’s not known whether any products have made it beyond the concept stage.
Crunchbase records indicate it has raised about $95 million, although specifics of that funding have not been disclosed. China-based VC PurpleSky Capital appears to be a large investor.
Last week’s announcement cited Irvine as the company’s U.S. base, but an address hasn’t been disclosed.
State regulatory filings suggest it and some affiliated ventures have also worked out of Costa Mesa and La Palma since being formed a year ago.
Neuron EV’s co-founders include “veterans from Tesla, Faraday Future’s FF91 team, Chrysler, Toyota, Hyundai, Audi, SAIC, and Ford,” according to the LinkedIn profile of Scott Zheng, a Shanghai resident who is part of PurpleSky.
Zheng also lists himself as founder of Neuron.
