Apr 1, 2013, 5:57pm ET

Police car startup Carbon Motors abandons plant, leaves town

Carbon has left its Indiana assembly plant, leaving even the small town\'s mayor confused.

The startup automaker that promised to build high-tech police cars in Indiana has left town, reports indicate.

Carbon Motors has abandoned its Connersville, Indiana, assembly plant, taking with it all of tis equipment. According to the Connersville News-Examiner, the city's Street Department has painted over plant signage and removed the "Carbon Motors Drive" that ceremonially stood in front of the facility.

The police car manufacturer's fate was essentially sealed after it wasn't granted the $310 million loan it had requested from the Department of Energy a couple of years ago. Carbon fought back initially but soon faded away, leaving even Connersville's mayor a bit confused.

"No one has said anything about where they are going or what's going to happen, we just know they came and got their stuff," Connersville mayor Leonard Urban told the paper.

The former Visteon plant Carbon occupied was leased by the police car builder from the city of Connersville, but the two parties' deal expired officially yesterday. Carbon has made no move to extend or renew the lease.

Connersville was banking on Carbon to turn around Fayette County, which had Indiana's highest unemployment rate after Visteon closed up shop. Carbon promised upwards of 1,000 jobs that never materialized.