ST. JOSEPH — A Central Minnesota father-son duo are about a month away from launching a test fleet of cars that are probably unlike anything you’ve driven before.
It’s electric — not that unusual on its own. And it’s got a few more things you’d expect out of a typical ride: electric windows, a heater, bluetooth connectivity, a backup camera.
A little more distinct: it’s a three-seater. Oh, and it doesn’t go faster than about 35 miles per hour.
Tom and Sean Skahen started Opus Motorcar Company in 2020. Tom is CEO, and Sean, his father, is CFO. Their first product launch is a small batch of what they call the Opus No. 3 — a short-range, low-speed electric vehicle evocative of those popular in China, but not nearly as prevalent in the United States.
“We don’t really have anything comparable on our roads in terms of performance… size, weight,” Tom said.
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Tom said he and is father were tinkering in the garage when he told Sean about this type of vehicle. Tom saw an opportunity to be a local, stateside manufacturer of this type of vehicle.
“He said, ‘Dad, what do you think of importing Chinese electric rickshaw cars?'” Sean said. “And I’m like, ‘I hate it. Tell me more.'”
Now, he’s the one regularly driving the Opus No. 3 prototype for his eight-block commute to work at Sunset Manufacturing. It’s a second-generation family company Sean took over from his own father, and though Opus is its own entity, it shares space and contracts some work with Sunset Manufacturing.
Opus Motorcar Company is in the process of rolling out its nine-car test fleet of this first model which will sell for $7,500 each.
It’s a nine-car fleet because that’s what could fit in a 40-foot shipping container, Sean said. The cars come in nearly complete with the electrical components separated. Opus Motorcar Company then retrofits the car to make it street-legal in the U.S.
Pandemic-imposed supply chain difficulties mean the cars have been sitting in port for almost two months, Sean said. Once they arrive, Opus will do some assembly and manufacturing work to prepare the cars for their new owners.
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Because it’s a specific type of vehicle, the company is looking for a specific type of customer. At this stage, the car is still an experimental vehicle, Sean said. That means they’re looking for drivers who are willing to communicate with Opus Motorcar Company, provide feedback and, ideally, data, according to Tom.
The ideal customer is tech-savvy, relatively local and lives in town.
“It’s for a limited and unique buyer that is interested in cheap and efficient transportation,” Sean said.
Tom also emphasized they want customers who will drive the vehicle legally. As of right now, the Opus No. 3 is essentially a street legal (albeit tricked-out and enclosed) golf cart. Tom said they will work with interested customers to confirm the legality of driving the Opus No. 3 around specific cities.
The goal is not for this vehicle to replace a customer’s normal car, Tom said. The Opus No. 3 battery charge will take a driver on about a 25-mile trip.
However, it can also plug into a 220-volt socket (like a washer or dryer socket) and a standard 110-volt, three-prong socket, depending on the charger, Tom said.
“If the coffee shop would let you, you could bring an extension cord through the door,” he said.
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Tom said their goal — assuming the cars make it through customs and into Minnesota with few hiccups — is to have the experimental vehicles ready for the Made in Minnesota Expo at River’s Edge Convention Center Nov. 20.
And then? Time will tell.
“It’s hard to speak (to) what comes after these nine cars,” Tom said.
But there’s been customer interest in a No. 7 (no, not a seven-seater), which is essentially a No. 3 with a roof rack. Tom said the company is also looking at other vehicle models, but right now, the No. 3 is the easiest to get their hands on. Just getting the prototype in took “no small amount of effort,” Tom said.
In the future, Opus Motorcar Company could also do more assembly work on the cars, which would allow more vehicles to fit in a shipping container, Tom said. Furthermore, the company is considering how to provide its cars to customers nationwide. (As of now, that’s complicated by differing laws and regulations governing this type of vehicle in different areas.)
Future Opus Motorcar vehicles also have the potential to be more mechanically efficient, Tom and Sean said. Tom said they’re looking at replacing the motor and transaxle with a hub motor.
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In the case of a hub motor, “your motor is the wheel,” Tom said — like it is on a hoverboard.
Sean and Tom are also interested in supplying these motors to other manufacturers for whom it may be useful.
“Obviously, it will take care of our own product, but in the interim, as we’re developing it, we see other applications that we can sell to other companies,” Sean said.
Those interested in the Opus No. 3 can schedule a “joyride” through the company’s website. The company is also hosting an event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot across from Bella Cucina in St. Joseph.
Sarah Kocher is the business reporter for the St. Cloud Times. Reach her at 320-255-8799 or skocher@stcloudtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahAKocher.
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