Officially official: Th!nk City electric car on sale in the UK this fall
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Green Daily, UK, Th!nk (Think)
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March has been a big month for Th!nk, with the news about $4m investments and the new Ox model out of Geneva. We knew EV fans in Norway would be able to buy a Th!nk City soon, and the good news for Britons is that the City will be available to order in the UK sometime "during the last quarter of this year." Smart Planet notes that the Th!nk City's running costs of around 1.25p a mile are a good place to be and "exactly halfway between the usual stated costs of the G-Wiz and the Mega City." While the Th!nk City does take longer to charge than some other EVs (10 hours at a standard plug vs. 4-6), you get more performance from it. 124 miles per charge being the big one; a little bit of punch with a 0-30 speed of 6.5 seconds being the other. UK buyers can expect to pay £14,000 (just under $28,000US) for a Th!nk City - plus £100 per month for a battery rental. Details after the jump.
Press Release:
FIRST FULLY ELECTRIC CAR TO GO ON SALE IN THE UK
UK motorists will soon be able to place orders to buy the first fully electric powered car later this year, when the new TH!NK city electric vehicle (EV) goes on sale in this country.
Revealed at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show this month by Norwegian electric vehicle pioneers Think, a company with 17 years experience in EVs, the new TH!NK city will be available for customer orders during the last quarter of this year.
TH!NK city is a true, modern urban car, not a quadricycle. It is a fully environmental vehicle, emission free and 95 percent recyclable. With an energy efficiency three times that of a traditional combustion engine car, it is a car that realistically meets the growing challenges of environmental protection and congestion and emissions legislation.
The two seater urban car has a top speed of 65 miles per hour. It accelerates from zero to 30 mph in just 6.5 seconds and 50 mph in 16 seconds. It requires just an overnight top-up of electricity and can travel for 124 miles in city driving on a fully charged battery. A full charge from a domestic electricity socket takes just ten hours. Over 10,000 miles use, the total cost of electricity used to power a TH!NK city will be in the region of £125.
TH!NK city is designed to meet the strict safety requirements of both Europe and the US, as a highway-safe road car. The car is equipped with ABS brakes, airbags and three-point safety belts with pretensioners and it meets all European and US requirements with good margins.
"Unlike the lower-range, electric quadricycles that have had limited success in the UK, TH!NK city is a real car which provides a realistic option for those motorists who want to drive a true zero emissions car," said Richard Blundell, Managing Director of Think UK.
"Also, concern for the environment has been at the heart of the development of TH!NK city. It's not only environmentally sound to drive, but the car itself is designed to be recycled," he added.
Engineers, developers, buyers and designers in the company have focused on utilising clean recyclable materials, non-polluting production processes. The dashboard can be completely recycled. The fabric, body, supports, air ducts, adhesives and fixings are designed using the same recyclable materials.
TH!NK city's body is made of recyclable ABS plastic, designed specifically for city driving. Not only is it ideal for motorists want to avoid visible scratches and irritating dents, the unpainted plastic bodywork also reduces both energy consumption and toxins, while also making the panels easier to recycle. The batteries are returned to the supplier at the end of their useable life.
Standard equipment on each TH!NK city includes power steering, central locking, a 4kW electric heater, and electric windows and mirrors. Optional equipment will include air conditioning, a pre-heat timer, electrically heated windscreen, full length sunroof, Radio CD with MP3, USB, Bluetooth, a navigation & multimedia system, alloy wheels, roof rack and 2 + 2 children seats (including 3-point seat belts)
Production started last autumn, and the first batch of cars will be delivered to Norwegian customers this spring with orders for UK cars being taken in the last quarter of this year. The expected retail price of TH!NK city is £14,000.
# # # #
Company history
Think has been developing and producing urban mobility solutions since the early 1990s. Major investments made during the Ford ownership period contributed to an important infrastructural upgrade. New investors are now grooming Think as "The Car Company of the 21st Century."
The first prototype predecessor to today's modern TH!NK city was developed in 1991. Drawing on 17 years of experience in electric vehicle development and production, Think is not a typical car industry start-up. TH!NK city was put in serial production in 1999, supported by American car giant Ford.
Ford became a major shareholder and invested USD 150 million in Think during its four years as an owner. When Ford decided to leave the electric vehicle sector in 2003, Think was sold out of the car manufacturing group. Though struggling to survive, Think has always retained the basic infrastructure and acquired considerable competence from its American owners.
During recent years, a wave of environmentalist conscience and climate change awareness has ripened the market for alternative mobility solutions. In 2006, Norwegian investors bought Think, and an experienced management team entered the scene. Both new and former staff members were added to the team, and a new strategy was outlined for the company. Further share issues during 2007 have prepared Think to go into regular serial production of the 5th generation TH!NK city. The car company of the 21st century is on the road.
"We are the car company of the 21st century. We develop zero emission vehicles and sustainable solutions and we are proud to be launching TH!NK city in new markets in 2008 and 2009, something that shows that the demand for sustainable solutions and zero emission vehicles is greater than ever before," says Jan-Olaf Willums, CEO of Think Global.
[Source: Th!nk, Smart Planet h/t to Adam V]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-25-2008 @ 3:58PM
Karkus said...
That's good news on a neat car.
However, I wouldn't call that "officially official" until they actually start selling them. In the EV/HEV world, cars keep getting delayed on a regular basis.
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3-25-2008 @ 5:32PM
Scatter said...
Excellent news. I think this car will go down well in London.
With regards the charge time, it shouldn't be too hard to run an extension from a socket on a high amp circuit like the kitchen. A kitchen will have maybe a 32 amp circuit compared with 15 amps standard. Could the on-board charger take a higher amperage and therefore charge quicker?
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3-25-2008 @ 6:15PM
Mark said...
Any plans to bring it to North America? Especially Canada? Please?
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3-25-2008 @ 6:59PM
TheRookie said...
Can't see Th!nk selling more than a hundred of these, all of it in London. At its current price the vehicle is pointless. People can get brand new Aygo/C1/107 for half price of this thing and still get 60+ mpg from it. OK, I know about emission thing, but for general public it doesn't quite matter. Even road tax on Aygo is only 70 USD/year, so it's not a big deal.
And you can seat 4 adults in Aygo/C1/107. It is also exempt (from this autumn) from London Congestion charge.
I only wish that car makers could remember what made Prius a success - practicality! One can buy it and still use it as an everyday car, even if there is school run involved.
Waiting for Whitestar... Or next-gen Prius.
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3-25-2008 @ 8:14PM
Kevin said...
That is pretty awesome 124 mile range. That pretty good but it still is not as captivating and cute as the smart . i wish the smart company woudl come out with their own version boastings specs even higher than this. But i don't think this is officials because they are not selling them yet. Ev cars are always delayed and set back so until i can pick one up in the store then it wont even cross my mind.
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3-26-2008 @ 7:24AM
Petar Bogdanov said...
Are the batteries on this thing thermo-isolated? They must be, if they're gonna be selling it in Norway...
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3-26-2008 @ 2:58PM
mike said...
I like the Think but it's starting to sound a little too expensive, plus a battery rental. Is this a early-adapter price? Shouldn't an electric be less expensive then a hybrid?
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3-27-2008 @ 7:10AM
Dan Browne said...
Depending on where I will be located I am seriously considering buying one of these.
The range and the speed make it a slam dunk for me.
Right now I spend well over a hundred quid a month on fuel, so to stabilize fuel costs would be sweet.
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3-27-2008 @ 4:20PM
JP Hedin aka DrSmart said...
I was told that the batteries used on the prototype smart electric cost $ 12,000-that is why think is renting them-plus that covers any warranty issues. On the original think City you had to "equalize" the batteries every 2,500 miles. Evectric cars are VERY complicated devices that require a lot of cooling for all of the on board high voltage components. The energy loss climbing hills is amazing. You won't get much back on re-gen.
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3-29-2008 @ 1:07PM
Auto IT said...
For more details on Think's UK plans and prices, check out BusinessGreen.com - it has a detailed interview with Don Cochrane, Think's UK manager, and an audio interview too.
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/analysis/2212579/interview-think-bring-electric
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3-30-2008 @ 3:14PM
jeffzekas said...
The Think car is quite clever, and usable in a small town, or for local commuting. Hey Ford, why not buy distribution rights to the car you once owned? And attention, state governments, attention: start requiring 10% of all new vehicles sold to be electric, and soon, the change-over shall begin. "We can move into the new, oil scarcity era with grace, or we can move forward, screaming and kicking. But either way, the oil WILL run out." (quote from my uncle, a petrochemical engineer and geologist).
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