Not enough variety in the electric car market? TH!NK again!

Th!nk, an electric car company based in Norway, plans to open a U.S. manufacturing plant, hopefully in the Southwest. Th!nk hopes to begin production of their 112 mile-range, all-electric car in 2010 and pump out 16,000 cars annually. Eventually, the company may produce upwards of 60,000 vehicles annually and employ 900 people in the United States.
The Southwest would be ideal since environmentally-conscious California is nearby and the wide-open spaces of Nevada and Arizona allow for flexibility in design. With the hard-hit Las Vegas economy, thanks in part to Obama's bashing of company trips to Sin City, Southern Nevada could use the jobs. In addition, a new plant in Southern Nevada could easily be eco-friendly and solar-powered, with the Southwest offering the best year-round sun in the US.
Th!nk North America said it will apply for low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program, created in 2007 to develop fuel-efficient vehicles. Last June, the US Department of Energy said it would contribute up to $30 million over three years for three cost-shared Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) demonstration and development projects. Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, who makes the my favorite electric sportscar, is among those applying for federal funds.

$200 Million in DOE grants for biofuel

Hoping to reduce emissions and ultimately increase its energy supply security and wean the country off dependence on energy imports, the Department of Energy (DOE) will award as much as $200 million in grants to 5-12 projects over the next six years for advanced biofuel refineries. The new national renewable-fuels mandate requires US production of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022 - 21 billion, including advanced fuels such as cellulosic ethanols, bio-butanol, and “green gasoline.” Additional government support is expected under President-elect Barack Obama’s nominee for energy secretary, Steven Chu - a strong proponent of cellulosic ethanol.