Think to Choose US Production Site

Norwegian car manufacturer Think, which has already started to produce its electric car called Think City in Finland, is trying to make a deal for a plant in the United States.

On January 9, Think will apply during a public hearing for a 10-year tax abatement for a plant in Goshen, Indiana, where it intends to build its Think City model for the North American customers. The Norwegian automaker plans to build about 60,000 cars in the US.

The company has not announced the location for its new plant and apparently told officials from Indiana that they are negotiating with another three American states. Despite this information, Charles Gassenheimer, chairman of Think’s biggest investor, Ener1 Inc, told Reuters in November that the company will build its US plant in Indiana.

The paperwork filled with the Elkhart County Council calls for a $24.7 million investment and 413 new jobs by 2013.

Apart from Ener1, which is based in New York, Think has another important investor: Finland’s Valmet Automotive. Valmet is producing the Think City model at its plant in Uusikaupunki, Finland, where they also build the Fisker electric car and Porsche AG’s Boxter and Cayman under contract.

“Our strategic alliance with Valmet Automotive is much more than just about assembly,” said Think CEO Richard Canny. “We are already reaping the benefits of Valmet’s manufacturing and engineering, with time being taken out of the production process, more manufacturing done on site and an overall more-efficient industrial solution.”