Georgia made the final cut, but a Korean electric car maker ultimately picked South Carolina after weighing a few Southeastern states as possible locations for a $21 million plant that will create 370 jobs over the next five years. 

Seoul-based CT&T Co. Ltd. has formed a joint venture with 2AM Group of Spartanburg, S.C., which provides technical services to manufacturers, including help planning engineering and logistical operations. The new plant will operate under the name CT&T Southeast LLC and is expected to come on line by the end of this year, according to a South Carolina Department of Commerce news release. 

The new plant will make CT&T's eZone all-electric car, which has a top speed of 35 mph. The eZone has an enclosed cabin and can travel as many as 70 miles on a full charge of its lithium polymer battery. The plant will also make the cZone line of utility vehicles and golf carts, which top out at 25 mph. Both models will be marketed for commercial uses including security, maintenance and neighborhood transportation.

"Upstate South Carolina is an ideal location for our first North American assembly facility," said Young Gi Lee, CT&T's chief executive.

A BMW plant in Spartanburg recently exported its 1 millionth vehicle. The German automaker opened a manufacturing operation there in 1995.

For more information, visit CT&T's website. 

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