THINK, the world’s leading dedicated electric vehicle maker, has delivered its first U.S.-built cars to the State of Indiana for use in its government fleet. The 15 vehicles, which were shipped from THINK’s manufacturing facility in Elkhart, Ind., will be the first electric passenger vehicles with American-made, Lithium-ion batteries used in a U.S. fleet operation.
“We’re proud to be the first manufacturer to deliver an all-electric car built in the U.S. with an advanced battery that suits the needs of government and commercial fleet operators,” said THINK CEO Barry Engle. “Our delivery today is part of a larger effort to help transform the U.S. light-duty vehicle fleet from one that is mostly dependent on imported oil, to one that is fueled entirely by domestically produced electric energy.”
“As part of that goal, we’ve made a strategic decision to target initially the many millions of fleet vehicles in operation in the U.S. market,” Mr. Engle added. “These fleets can jumpstart vehicle electrification in America’s cities and help push the industry past early adopters into mainstream consumer markets. Fleet sales will drive up vehicle and battery production volumes and drive down costs, which will benefit retail consumers.”
The economics of electric vehicles for fleet operators in terms of cost of ownership are highly positive. With defined travel routes and centralized recharging and service, fleets are the natural platform to launch this new industry