Think Announces U.S. Factory Plans

 

Norway’s pioneering electric car maker, Think, plans to open a manufacturing plant and technical center in the United States. The company is currently in discussions with eight states, including Michigan, which will initially employ approximately 300 workers with a starting capacity of 16,000 cars per year. Plans ultimately call for up to 900 employees and a capacity of 60,000 electric vehicles per year.

The plant will build the TH!NK city – a sophisticated, high-tech compact electric vehicle which was recently nominated for England’s prestigious Britt Design Award.

The all-electric car boasts up to 112 miles on a single charge and 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.

According to Think CEO Richard Canny:

“The U.S. is quickly overtaking Europe as an attractive market for EVs and is an ideal location to engineer and build EVs. We see ourselves playing a small but potentially growing role in re-inventing the U.S. auto industry by bringing back new manufacturing jobs to the U.S. to replace internal combustion engine vehicles that are expensive to operate and maintain with clean, efficient electric vehicles.”