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Th!nk to build cars in North America + Video

Posted May 30th 2008 at 3:42PM by Domenick Yoney

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Th!nk (Think), USA



Back in April, Th!nk made it known that they would be selling its all-electric "City" car in America in 2009 with a sub $25,000 price tag. With an ambitious desire to ramp up future North American sales into the 50,000 unit-per-year range, Th!nk and its financial backers have realized it doesn't make a lot of sense to be shipping so many cars across the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, especially when those cars have been constructed with labor paid for in euros Norwegian Kroners. Much better to build them in Mexico or the U.S. and not have to absorb all that shipping or worry about the growing gap in currency values. Also, since two of the three battery options to be made available will be supplied by Enerdel and A123 Systems, both American companies, the reasons for keeping production solely in Norway vanish.

To that end, Th!nk's American executives, based in Menlo Park, CA, are out shopping for a place to set up shop.
According to the Wall Street Journal, investment incentives, such as tax breaks from municipalities and states are among the criteria they will be considering. We suggest they choose a site with lots of room for expansion as they will need the extra real estate to begin manufacturing their Th!nk Ox model in late 2010.

Oh, and that "thwack" noise you're hearing from the general direction of Detroit may well be the sound of Ford kicking itself for selling off a brand that now looks so much like the future. Want a glimpse of that future? Check out the short, hyper advert put together by our Norwegian friends after the break.

UPDATE: Norway doesn't use the euro, as it isn't part of the EU. Our apologies.




[Source: Wall Street Journal / YouTube]

Tags: A123systems, electric car, ElectricCar, Enerdel, Thnk

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