It's the future of the automotive industry.

And it may be the future of the local economy in Mexico, Missouri.

A Georgia firm Monday showed off the latest models of its electric cars with hope that they might soon be assembled in Audrain County.

The Anvil is the newest model of electric car from Tomberlin Automotive Group of Augusta, Georgia. The model sells for about $16,000.

"It runs very inexpensively, somewhere around a cent and a half to two cents a mile, compared to your gasoline car,” said Chris Miller of M&M Golf Cars, the Mexico distributor for Tomberlin vehicles. 

At current fuel prices, a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle costs upwards of eight cents per mile to operate.

Tomberlin's low-speed electric vehicles are designed to be second cars for urban and suburban commuters.

"Fifteen billion miles a week people drive their cars in America,” company CEO Mike Tomberlin explained to a group gathered at the Audrain County Historical Society.  “Fifteen billion miles a week within 6.9 miles of their house.”

And right now, Uncle Sam offers tax credits of up to $5,200 to buy electric cars.

Parts for Tomberlin vehicle are already manufactured in Mexico. The company would like to put an automobile assembly plant there.

"They're a long way down the road. I think they've got a great product," Missouri Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer said. "We're hopeful (for a local assembly plant).  There's a great opportunity for Missouri to play a part in this. It's gonna take some state initiative.”

Among other things, that likely means a state tax credit for electric car buyers, like the one now available in Oklahoma.

"I think if you see Kokam stay in Missouri, I think that will be the next step,” Missouri State Representative Steve Hobbs observed.

Kokam is the Lee's Summit company that makes lithium batteries for use in electric cars.

State lawmakers this year approved financial incentives for lithium battery companies, contingent on the receipt of federal stimulus funds.

That money could determine whether Kokam remains in Missouri.

Right now, Tomberlin Electric cars run on lead acid batteries with a range of about forty miles.

Lithium batteries could power electric cars up to 200 miles.