Nissan focuses its Leaf intro on the West Coast. Think counters with an East Coast intro for its City. NEW YORK, April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, pioneering electric car company THINK announced plans to begin selling the THINK City, one of the world's first highway-capable electric vehicles (EVs), in New York and other select cities later this year. Â THINK and the U.S. Department of Energy's local Clean Cities chapter are working together to bring the THINK City electric vehicle to customers in New York. Â "New York is a logical early market for the THINK City in the U.S.," said THINK CEO Richard Canny. Â "New York ranked third on our EV- Ready Cities Index based on the great fit of EVs for city driving and the strength of state and local government support." Â Today, New York City officials and several New York fleet operators had a chance to test drive the zero-emissions electric car at a drive event on Pier 7 in Brooklyn. The sophisticated lithium-ion battery system that gives the car its range and reliability is made in the U.S. by New York's own Ener1, Inc., one of the city's leading clean technology companies. More here. April 1, 2010/CNET News -- Think's electric cars to roll into New York Think will begin selling its all-electric City cars in the New York metropolitan area within the coming months, the company said Thursday. Think's City model is a highway-legal electric vehicle that runs solely on a lithium ion battery system and gives off zero emissions. The car, which has a top speed of 60 mph, can be charged from either a standard U.S. 110-volt household outlet, or a fast-charging 220-volt station that can be installed for home use. The small two-door car, clearly intended for city driving and parking, has a battery system with a range of about 112 miles per charge. Via the fast-charging 220-volt station, a Think City car can charge from zero to 80 percent capacity in about 15 minutes. However, using a standard household outlet can take up to eight hours. Think's U.S. battery supplier, EnerDel, has been held up to the public as an example of the U.S. stimulus package working successfully. The Indiana-based battery manufacturer, which also has deals with Volvo, Nissan, and Fisker Automotive, received $118.5 million in U.S. stimulus grants. The money to expand its production facilities is estimated to create 1,700 jobs. More here. More info on Think/Enerdel.
I am pro electric cars but that Think looks odd to me. It's almost like something a group of design students would come up with for their Uni project. I think they might struggle to sell any in real numbers, but good luck to them.
I'd buy one if it was available, the price was reasonable, and I could fit into it without too much discomfort (I'm 6'2"). I want a commuter vehicle with optional short range NEV use after work. As long as it's not absurdly ugly, I don't care what it looks like...the pic in the OP is OK by me. My daily commute is ~40 miles round trip with ~9mi of those each way at highway speeds. If necessary, I can use an alternate route in the morning to eliminate half of those to get extra range at lower speed.
Re: Plug In America Test Drives the THINK City The lithium ion Think City will have an EPA estimated range of 112 miles with a real-world driving range of a probable 100 miles -- comparable to that of the trusty Toyota RAV4 EVs some of us are still driving. Test driver and PIA videographer Colby Trudeau quipped that since the Think will have over a 100-mile range, "It should be called the Think County. It's really an around-the-county car because you can go anywhere within a 50-mile county radius." ...Although I found the Think to be well appointed with good fit and finish, and I loved the spunky spirit of the thing, I'm probably not the most unbiased nor the best test driver for this electric car. I freely admit it: When it comes to sheer speed and torque, the Tesla roadster has spoiled me rather rotten. But I admit this too: The pint-sized Think City is a smooth, stylish-in-its-own-right, much improved urban ride that will likely join other mass-produced plug-in cars on the road to America's hopefully brighter transportation future. More.
Looks better than the Reva G-Whizz, GC....Have you seen that,Sweet Divine!! I'm beginning to see all the charging post coming online around Dublin City,unfortunately they're part of normal Pay and Display parking and in areas where parking is at a premium people are just parking there,it's not exclusively for Electric vehicles,which is a little silly.They're very visible though especially at night,Blue LED.
Think City EV being built NOW in Elkhart, IN Elkhart goes to work building the world's best-selling electric car :cheer2: Right now, 220 of the small cars, colored red, blue or black, are aligned on the factory floor in neat rows and are in various stages of completion. A handful of workers move from vehicle to vehicle, quietly installing parts. Think plans to produce 300 cars in Elkhart before the end of the year, said company spokesman Brendan Prebo. Buyers are making orders to add the cars to their fleets, including Indianapolis-based Energy Systems Network which wants to purchase 200 of those initial cars for its Project Plug-IN program. In 2011, production will jump to 2,000 or 3,000 vehicles, Turner said. I don't like that word "fleet." It suggests that the initial release of the Think City will be, like the Ford Transit Connect BEV, only to commercial users. Sales to consumers maybe a year later. Read more. FWIW, The THINK City Electric Car - all electric and highway safe
THINK's City Sales/Distribution Plan 11/24/2010 TORRANCE, CA - THINK, a Scandinavian electric vehicle (EV) maker, plans to launch its THINK City vehicle in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2011, according to Michael Lock, chief marketing officer. THINK designs, develops, manufactures, and markets full battery electric vehicles (BEV) and electric vehicle technologies, and has been doing so since the early 1990s. The THINK City, a modern urban vehicle, will be released in the U.S. as a two-seater model, providing "healthy" cargo space, said Lock. While 75 percent of its four-seater model sales in Europe have been derived from fleet over the past year, Lock said the company plans to initially target the U.S. retail market when it arrives in the U.S. next year with an MSRP ranging from approximately $32,000-$33,000 (without incentives). THINK City is highway-certified and can travel at a top speed of 70 mph and a 100-mile range, Lock said. The vehicle weighs 2,200 lbs. Standard structural features of the THINK City include the steel load bearing under-structure, plastic body panels, McPherson front suspension, torsion rear suspension, front wheel drive with electric powertrain, and single speed reduction gearbox... THINK is in the process of determining its distribution channel and does not currently have a dealer network. The company plans to market the vehicle in less conventional methods, avoiding traditional auto show events. "We're working on developing a separate channel of distribution where you don't feel like you're going to a car dealer," said Lock. Read more. I wonder what they're thinking about for distribution/sales... * treat it like a appliance and retail it at BestBuy... * the back pages of The New Yorker, Smithsonian, Audubon, magazines * mini-boutique stores a la Starbuck's * a cozy corner at REI Ahh, found it! Here's THINK's distribution strategy and plan: Lock also revealed some of the previously missing critical details of the rollout—most notably the price: just below $34,000 before incentives. He confirmed that 300 pre-sold Think City cars will be delivered to fleets in Indiana and Maryland before the end of this year. By the middle of next year, Lock said, Think will complete its assembly plant in Elkhart, Ind. and offer the first units to private customers. Lock said that Think will sell just 2,000 to 3,000 cars in 2011 via three to five branded stores in highly targeted city locations. The stores will probably be located in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Washington, DC and Indianapolis, near where the company will assemble the cars and where generous consumer incentives will be available. Competing Against Majors, In Cities The Think City will find those 2,000 to 3,000 customers, according to Lock, if it's positioned as a city car rather than an all-purpose vehicle, like the similarly priced Nissan LEAF. What are the advantages for urban drivers? First, the Think City is small, only a foot longer and a few inches wider than a Smart ForTwo. “I have a whole list of cities, where there is hub of urban population who are saying I want utility, cleanliness, ease of use, and I want a low stress experience.” He said the Think is also quick and quiet, and has great visibility (via a large glass rear door) for parking, reversing, and darting about town. The car’s plastic-panel body is scratch and ding resistant. “The last time I looked, urban driving has become a contact sport,” Lock said. Read more. Now I wonder where I might find/contact the aforementioned THINK City fleets in our beloved Merlin for a look-see and ride-along test drive.
