Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon has lost out on landing a new electric car manufacturing plant.

The Norwegian company, Th!nk announced Tuesday that Elkhart, Indiana – rather than Portland – will become its new North American base.

Oregon officials had helped get Portland on Th!nk’s short list of three destinations. Jillian Schoene is a spokeswoman for Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski.

Jillian Schoene: “We are disappointed, but Th!nk is a great company, and we do wish them well in Indiana. They have expressed that they will be looking at U.S.-based parts suppliers in addition to establishing a manufacturing site in Indiana, and we expect to continue working with them on that side of that equation.”

Th!nk officials have said that financial incentives – and the location of a battery manufacturer in Indiana – factored into the decision.

Th!nk plans to spend more than $43 million to get a plant ready to build cars by a year from now.

Schoene notes that the Portland truck factory that Th!nk considered wasn’t necessarily going to be available right away.