REPORT: New auto assembly plant to be announced this week... perhaps for Th!nk?
Financially struggling Norwegian EV maker Th!nk has been saying for some time that it wants to build some of its cars in in the United States. That announcement could come as soon as this week in Louisana. In a report published in Louisiana newspaper The News Star, factory owner Jim Davison will make an announcement on Wednesday of this week. Davison owns a factory that was formerly part of Guide, previously a General Motors lighting division.
While Davison declines to give details of the project or what cars will be built there, some hints are available. The project reportedly includes Silicon Valley venture capitalists Ray Lane and John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. KPC&B has made a lot of green technology investments in recent years, including Th!nk and Fisker Automotive. While Fisker is certainly a possibility, it's less likely since the California-based company already has a deal with Finland's Valmet for production of the new Karma. Th!nk has been showing its electric city car in the U.S. recently, so we figure their products are the most likely ones to emerge from Ouachita Parish (about midway between Shreveport and Jackson, Mississippi). Thanks to Justin for the tip!
Gallery: Th!nk City
[Source: The News-Star]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Anachronus 3:24PM (6/14/2009)
The city is Monroe, the parish* is Ouachita.
*Parish is the Louisiana equivalent of county.
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wave54 3:07PM (6/15/2009)
I guess we'll have to wait a few days to find out for sure. Didn't feel that Th!nk needed as many employees as mentioned in the original article (1400 jobs) or that it had the financing available to start operations in the US when they're barely afloat in their home country of Norway. It's been reported that production here is dependent on receiving funding from the DOE.
http://www.hybridcars.com/news/electric-carmaker-think-grasps-doe-funding-25659.html
There's another article that brings up other possibilities for an automaker:
http://industry.bnet.com/energy/10001347/who-is-kleiner-perkins-new-electric-car-company/
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Andrew 11:42AM (6/16/2009)
Or maybe it's for the Murray T25......
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Mart 11:48AM (6/16/2009)
The story is also in the Jackson, MS newspaper.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20090615/BIZ/90615022/Lawmaker++La.+beat+Miss.+for+auto+plant
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Mart 10:23AM (6/17/2009)
If current leaks are correct, this looks increasingly more likely to be the Fisker hybrid. We'll be certain by noon today.
http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20090617/NEWS01/906170325
"The 1,400 jobs created by a new American auto manufacturer at the former Guide plant in Ouachita Parish ......The new company will manufacture high-mileage gas-powered cars, not electric or hybrids as some reports have suggested."