Think Poised for Indianapolis Fleet Delivery

Think Global AS plans to announce next week a delivery of cars to participate in “Project Plug-In,” a pilot program for Indianapolis-area power providers to test an urban electric-vehicle infrastructure.

The delivery likely will number between 50 and 100 of the auto maker’s City EVs, although U.S. representatives for Norway-based Think would not elaborate citing the involvement of other parties.

The EV maker announced in January a $43.5 million brownfield investment in Elkhart County near the Indiana-Michigan border to support introduction of the Think City to North America. Think expects to build 20,000 units annually at the plant.

Think launched the City in Europe last year and in October a Valmet Automotive Inc. plant in Uusikaupunki, Finland, surpassed the production of 2,500 units.

Valmet took over production from Think’s Aurskog, Norway, facility after taking an equity position in the EV builder as part of its restructuring out of bankruptcy in 2009.

The Indiana production location is close to another Think partner and equity-stakeholder, Ener1 Inc. (31%), which is supplying batteries for the City.

The City can travel at highway speeds for more than 100 miles (162 km) on a single charge, the auto maker says.

Fleet delivery of Think City EVs expected next week.

Indianapolis’ Project Plug-In includes a number of organizations, including big utilities Duke Energy Corp. and Interstate Power & Light Co., auto maker Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., supplier Delphi Corp. and EV-producer Bright Automotive Inc.

In addition to deploying and testing a recharging infrastructure, the initiative will study the performance and operation of a fleet of EVs off multiple platforms and support-services to speed the industry’s growth and spur consumer interest.