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BAT International Completes Mexican Auto Plant

6 May 1998

BAT International Completes Auto Manufacturing Plant in Mexico; First Vehicle Delivery Expected in July 1998

    BURBANK, Calif., May 6 -- BAT International
(OTC Bulletin Board: BAAT) and its joint venture partners have just completed
construction of a new manufacturing facility in Mexico, which will produce
both gasoline and electric vehicles.  BAT, together with World Transport
Authority (WTA) of El Cajon, CA., Detech Corp. (Alberta: DTK) of Canada, and
Environmental Process Advanced S.A. (E.P.A.) of Mexico, recently announced a
global partnership (see press release April 3, 1998) to enter into high volume
production of electric vehicles in Otay Mesa, Mexico and other locations
worldwide.  The manufacturing plant in Mexico is only two minutes from the
U.S. border crossing at Otay Mesa.
    The Otay Mesa plant will be utilized as a showcase facility to be
replicated in other countries.  The plant will also be the training center for
all other plants throughout the world.  The initial production effort will
focus on the manufacturing of vehicles for the North American, Latin American
and Caribbean markets.  BAT will be moving its Corporate headquarters to San
Diego, California to support plant startup and production.
    The building was completed to specifications and is now available for the
installation of production machinery.  The manufacturing machinery for
assembly line production of vehicles has also been completed and will be
shipped to the Otay Mesa plant starting the week of May 11, 1998.  The first
vehicles are scheduled to roll out of the plant by mid-July.  BAT owns 40% of
the joint venture and gasoline vehicle production, and 100% of electric
vehicle production and marketing.
    BAT has a worldwide exclusive license (except for four countries --
Philippines, Venezuela, Honduras and Argentina) to produce and sell electric
vehicles using the WTA chassis and production system.  The WTA "World Star"
chassis is ideal for electric vehicles because of its light weight, very high
carrying capacity, durability and versatile design.  The vehicle chassis
design uses state-of-the-art composite technology to produce a monocoque
composite frame and shell that is very strong, very safe, and can carry heavy
loads while also being very light.  The vehicle chassis weighs less than 1,300
pounds (including suspension & running gear), yet has a carrying capacity of
over one ton.  The same production tooling will lead to three different
models; a pickup truck, a delivery van, and a multi-passenger vehicle.

SOURCE  BAT International