Think Plans Electric Car Plant in the U.S.

12 March, 2009 10:51:00

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Norway's electric car maker, Think, plans to open a new electric car plant and technical center in the United States.

The company is currently in discussions with eight states, including Michigan, hoping to host the facility, which will initially employ about 300 workers with a starting capacity of 16,000 cars per year.

The technical center will provide jobs for another 70 engineers and electric drive specialists. Plans ultimately call for up to 900 employees and a capacity of 60,000 electric vehicles per year.

The plant will build the innovative TH!NK city, a sophisticated, high-tech compact electric vehicle recently nominated for England's prestigious Britt Design Award. The all-electric car can travel up to 112 miles on a single charge. The car is designed, engineered and produced to have the lowest possible carbon footprint with recyclable plastic body panels and a fully recyclable interior. U.S. production is expected to start in 2010, with the first-year volume of 2,500 units being available to pilot and demonstration fleet projects.

The two seater city car has a top speed of 65 Miles per hour. It accelerates from
zero to 30 mph in just 6.5 seconds and 50 mph in 16 seconds. It requires just an
overnight top-up of electricity and can travel for 112 Miles in city driving on a fully
charged battery. A full charge from a domestic electricity socket takes just ten hours.

Think North America also plans to apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program, which was created in 2007 to help develop U.S. production capabilities for the highly fuel-efficient vehicles needed to meet long-range energy security and environmental challenges.

Think had planned to launch its $31,000 Think City across European cities this year and in the U.S. in 2010. and had designs to become the "world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer."

Two U.S. companies--A123 Systems Inc and EnerDel Inc. supply the batteries for the European version of the City. General Electric has invested more than $20 million in A123 and $4 million in TH!NK Global.

The two companies are part of a growing U.S. supply chain serving the electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid car markets.

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Comments (1 posted):

on 12 March, 2009 06:58:14

Outstanding! Electric vehicles never seem to permanently remain in marketing position very long in CA. Getting from renderings to the road is excellent! I would be thrilled if Th!nk is assembled on the central Ca. coast; but that would probably be asking too much!