Navistar International (NAV)

[Joz]

Navistar were attempting a tie-up the UK's Modec (an unlisted company, no relation to the other oil industry Modec) to produce 5.5 ton electric vans, and had recently been exhibiting them rebadged as the Navistar eStar. But Modec in the UK collapsed last week, and probably has no future. Will Navistar continue producing it?

Modec's main rival in the UK was Smith Electric Vehicles, which is now a US company having bought out its long-established UK parent. In the UK, Smith has been building electric vehicles since 1920. Smith intend listing the company on the Nasdaq exchange this year sometime (date eagerly awaited by many), in what will be the biggest electric vehicles ipo since Tesla. They are now building over 40 electric trucks a week at their Kansas City plant, and plan to replicate that facility in 20 states, with a projected output of 100,000 electric trucks within 4 years. The next site (probably in California) is being announced within weeks. What will Navistar do about this? Will they give up on electric trucks now that Modec is gone? Or step in and save Modec? Or team up with another ev maker such as ZeroTruck? Or maybe a tie-up with another foreign maker?