Along with winning the the E-Visionary Award from the World Electric Vehicle Association, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa got some other related good news.

Colorado-based Boulder Electric Vehicle decided to lease a building there to assemble its electric trucks. At full production, it’s expected to build 1000 vehicles a year and employ 150 people.

“Face it, L.A., San Diego and San Francisco is a huge market for the early development of electric vehicles,” CEO Carter Brown told Contra Costa Times.

The company will initially invest about $6 million and got a $3 million grant from the California Energy Commission.

Boulder’s trucks are for fleets, such as governments and big delivery companies. Starting next year, there will be four models with a range of 40 miles, 80 miles and 120 miles, and a 2-ton carrying capacity.

Building them is very labor intensive, taking about three hours when they reach full scale.

Boulder is the fourth electric vehicle maker to locate in Los Angeles. China-based BYD Company has its North American headquarters there as well as CODA Holdings. TIG/M LLC, which makes electric trolleys, has a research and development facility there.

Original Article on SustainableBusiness.com