Electric car maker says Oregon ‘a really good place to do business’

Norway’s Think North America gets red carpet treatment during visit to Portland

The Portland Tribune, Apr 7, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (26 Reader comments)

Think North America’s CEO Richard Canny, far right, joined Gov. Ted Kulongoski Tuesday morning to test drive a new TH!NK city car. The company is looking for a place to build electric cars in the U.S.

Kevin Harden / Portland Tribune

Gov. Ted Kulongoski took a ride in what he called “the future” Tuesday morning just before he plugged Oregon as the best place for a Norwegian company to put its North American electric vehicle plant.

Kulongoski joined Think North America’s Chief Executive Officer Richard Canny in a several-block test drive along the waterfront in downtown Portland in the company’s TH!NK city car that could be produced somewhere in the United States.

“It’s a nice ride,” Kulongoski said after a 15-minute drive in the tiny red car that is a little smaller than an old VW Beetle. “I think this is a great urban transportation vehicle.”

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden joined the governor during a press conference outside Portland’s World Trade Center to promote Oregon as the best place to locate Think North America’s plant.

Canny said he got the message, and was impressed by the way the state rolled out its red carpet for the potential plant, complete with a 70-degree day. He also was encouraged by the state’s commitment to zero-emission vehicles and “making Oregon home to electric vehicle manufacturing and sales.”

“We believe Oregon could be a really good place for Think to do business,” Canny said.

“Somebody in this country is going to be in the position to have a lot of electric vehicles coming out of their state,” Wyden said. “Oregon is in the lead for that.”

Public-private partnerships

Oregon is one of the eight U.S. states Think NA is scouting for a place to build an electric car plant that could employ about 900 people when it reaches capacity.

Think NA's small TH!NK city car can travel up to 112 miles on a single charge. The three-door hatchback car has most of the same features as larger, gasoline-powered cars, like power windows, ABS brakes, airbags and a radio with an MP3 player jack. They come in four colors, including blue sky, red energy and city citrus.

Canny and other Think NA officials have already visited Michigan and other states in their quest for the electric car plant location. The company began producing TH!NK city cars last year in Europe.

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