This Wasn't a Business Plan. It Was a Problem I Couldn't Stop Thinking About.
I've lived in the south metro for years. I've watched neighbors run around their neighborhoods on golf carts that have zero business being on a public road — no lights, no titles, no compliance, and no idea what happens when something goes wrong. A $200–$400 citation is the good outcome. The bad ones are worse.
At the same time, I watched the golf cart conversion scene explode with people doing incredible builds — lithium conversions, lifted platforms, full audio setups — while missing the one thing that turns a cool cart into a legitimate vehicle: the compliance and titling infrastructure behind it.
So I spent about a year figuring out how to become a federally registered NEV manufacturer, got our NHTSA registration (#25421), worked through the SAE WMI process, filed our VIN structure under 49 CFR Part 565, and started building. North Star is the result of that work.
"I don't want to sell you a golf cart. I want to build you something you can actually drive on your street, title at the DMV, and make your buddies jealous when you pull up to the bonfire."
— Nick, Founder · North Star Electric Vehicles LLC · Farmington, MN