Production of Lithium-Ion Think City EV Commences in Elkhart, Indiana Plant

Think City EV's Prepped At Elkhart, Indiana Facility

Working in 10-hour shifts seven days a week, Think's tiny Elkhart crew will assemble 304 vehicles in 2010. Next year, the plan calls for 2,500 to be made – 1,000 of those will be "battery install" vehicles that are will be used in different ways to shift the plant from simple assembly to actual production; 1,500 of those will be full production models, starting in July 2011.

Think isn't just an action requiring cranial capacity, but the name of an electric car builder; and they've sold and delivered their first United States-built City cars.

Think, a Scandinavian EV firm, has been in the business since the 1990s and recently invested a great deal of capital to establish a production site in Elkhart County, Indiana. There, Think will produce its City EV for U.S. consumption.

"Think found a great place to establish its business in Elkhart, and we're proud to be the first customer," said Mitch Daniels, Governor of Indiana. "We believe that the coming era of electric cars, like the Think City, will find its home here in Indiana."

Realizing the importance of supporting the local establishment, the State of Indiana is the first U.S. customer and took delivery of 15 Think City cars. The EVs were bought under the state's Project Plug-In, which intends to deploy additional EVs across the state to reduce fuel usage. Indiana's Department of Natural Resources, the department linked to the state's park system, will primarily use the electric transportation.

"We saw this specific green initiative as an opportunity to test alternative energy vehicles in real-life situations," said Rob Wynkoop, Indiana Department of Administration director. "We believe the state parks provide the best locations to test these vehicles."

The City car is a 2300-pound two-door hatchback that pairs a lithium-ion battery with a 46-horsepower electric motor (with 27 continuous horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque). A single-speed reduction gear drives the front wheels and a 100-mile range is touted for daily use. As the model name suggests, the City would be most appropriate for urban use, or state park duty as will be the case here.

Think is scheduled to commence mass retail distribution in select U.S. cities in the second half of 2011.

Source: Automobilemag.com