Ford and Norway At Odds Over Think Plant

September 25, 2002 AP has reported that in another sign of fading hopes for electric vehicles, Norway announced Tuesday that it could not meet demands from Ford Motor Co. to keep its Think auto plant open.

In late August, the Dearborn-based automaker announced it would stop selling electric cars in the United States and was prepared to withdraw from the Think Nordic plant that makes the Think City electric car.

Ford has said the market for electric cars was too smalland would decide whether to close the plant by the end of November.

Norwegian minister of industry Ansgar Gabrielsen said Ford wanted his government to set aside money for the plant and order a fleet of the pollution-free vehicles to keep the operation running.

" . . . The economic framework in the proposal from Ford is much too big for us to get involved," Gabrielsen said.