TH!NK Thinks About Launching New Electric Car

Think Photos

The TH!NK rides again... (Photo: TH!NK)

Two City cars playing hide and go seek. (Photo: TH!NK)

Since it runs on pure electricity, theres no need for an exhaust pipe. (Photo: TH!NK)

You can see the impact Ford made on the look of the Citys cabin. (Photo: TH!NK)

Small Electric Cars a Success in Europe

Quite some time ago, there was an electric vehicle called the TH!NK City. If you live in California or New York, you might actually be familiar with the daft little machine, which was taken on as a subsidiary by Ford back in the late 90s. Convinced of the future of emissions-friendly automobiles, Ford had grandiose plans to launch the TH!NK as a completely zero-emissions vehicle and a competitor to the smart fortwo, until the American giant abandoned its plans to cut costs and spend its precious development funds elsewhere.

The original TH!NK City, marketed by Ford, was a unique zero-emissions vehicle. Designed by PIVCO Industries (later renamed TH!NK Nordic SA), it had an aluminum space frame for rigidity and light weight, clothed in corrosion-free, dent-resistant matte-finish plastics. Despite being just 9.8 feet in length, the TH!NK Citys intelligent design, and drivers side airbags were enough to make it street legal, passing all European safety tests. Overall, the TH!NK City wasnt groundbreaking in any way in terms of its electrical performance; it had a top speed of 55 mph and could drive 50 mph or so between charges. Hooked up to a main 220 volt electrical plug, it took about 4-6 hours to charge 80-percent.

Since the Ford days, TH!NK Nordic SA has really begun to take off in its home country, as well as in Sweden. TH!NK created a drop-top version of the little city car, giving commuters the chance to catch a breath of fresh air, not to mention a completely new vehicle called the Public, which attempted to bring to market the functionality and look of a typical urban bus, but downsized into a tiny four-passenger vehicle. Because of Northern Europes zero-emissions vehicles benefits, which include incentives such as tax exemptions, free parking, free road tolls and access to bus/carpool lanes, the demand for TH!NKs electric cars have skyrocketed. Theyre so popular that TH!NKs originally exported for use in the U.S. have found their way back onto Nordic European roads.

For the new year, TH!NK has given its most popular car, the City, a complete remake from the ground up. Its certainly a different looking vehicle, bearing gigantic ovoid headlamps, and a rather sporty shape delivered through its funky roof-mounted spoiler and blistered wheel arches. Scientists and engineers have managed to stretch its range by 60-percent, which should make the City even more suitable for those who run it on a day-to-day basis. Standard equipment on the little electric car includes ABS brakes, an airbag, power steering, power windows and central locking. And incidentally, some traces of Ford still remain in the interior; much of the switchgear can be found on the Focus, as can the steering wheel.

Though its unlikely that the TH!NK will make it to North America - even for testing - the new generation car will go on sale in Norway soon. Could this really be the future of cheap, environmentally friendly motoring? Time will indeed tell.