Think to Develop and Build EV Cars in the US

Norwegian electric car maker Think announced yesterday that it plans to open a new manufacturing plant and technical center in the US. The company is currently talking with eight states about a potential location for the facility. The company estimates initially 16,000 cars will be built a year by 300 workers. The technical center will employ 70 engineers and electric drive specialists. Think’s goal is to produce 60,000 electric vehicles per year and employ 900 workers.

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, said Think CEO Richard Canny.

The plant will build the innovative THI!NK city, a sophisticated, 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.

[via leftlanenews]