THINK Restarts Production of EVs in Finland
10 December 2009
THINK, the Scandinavian electric vehicle (EV) maker, has re-started production of the THINK City—one of the first urban EVs—at a new facility with manufacturing partner Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki, Finland.
| The THINK City in production at Valmet. Click to enlarge. |
Valmet Automotive is a leading provider of engineering and manufacturing services to the automotive industry and recently became a THINK shareholder and strategic industrial partner. Valmet Automotive also produces Garia and Fisker alternative-fuel vehicles as well as Porsche AG’s Boxster and Cayman.
The start of production at Valmet Automotive also marks a new start for THINK, which has made significant progress since announcing its re-capitalization earlier this year with major new investors coming on board. In recent months THINK has made a series of senior executive appointments from the automotive and clean-tech industries, won major new contracts in the drivetrain supply business, started the roll-out of sales into key European markets and now, re-started production in Europe.
The THINK City is the first EV to be granted certification with the European CE conformity mark and EU homologation requirements (M1 certificate).
Sales of the THINK City have started in selected key EV markets such as Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, with first fleet deliveries due to start before Christmas. The majority of THINK sales in these countries have been made to municipal authorities and utility partners, supported by government incentives.
Glad to see Th!nk is back in production. Sorry that eco-friendly Norway refused to finance it in its moments of need. Hopefully neighbor Finland will prove to be a more sympathetic partner.
Posted by: sulleny | 10 December 2009 at 01:37 PM
By producing and selling much oil and natural gas, Norway is a big contibutor to CO2 in the air and I think that they should continue. There was a time when there were far lower sea levels and a time with more CO2. Global warming is only a problem for people not the ocean. Its level has changed greatly over the life of the earth.
Electric cars are not yet an affordable answer to the transportation fuel issue, but TH!NK should produce a few more thousand vehicles so that there will be some more tests done on electric personal vehicles. Perhaps the ZEBRA batteries will continue to prove their worth. But TH!NK must consider a hybrid for the US market. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 10 December 2009 at 03:42 PM
Norway has lots of north sea oil money, there is a symmetry to them funding alternatives. If they can fund city EVs and sell them all over the world, it will set things right in the long run.
Posted by: SJC | 13 December 2009 at 02:42 PM