Think City – electric cars

If you think you’ve heard of the Think City before, then you’d be right – the vehicle was sold between 1999 and 2002 while under the ownership of Ford. Now however, the Think City is making a comeback with a number of improvements which should make it popular particularly in its native Norway and in London, where there are significant financial incentives to driving an electric vehicle.

Quick links:

• History of the Think City
• Environmental credentials of the Think City
• Think City statistics
• Future of the Think City

History of the Think City

The Personal Independent Vehicle Company was founded in 1991 in Oslo with the first prototypes of the PIV2 built in time for the Lillehammer Winter Olympic Games in 1994. However, with development taking more time and resources than originally anticipated, the company was acquired by Ford.

This led to the production of the Think City, which was marketed by Ford alongside electric bicycles and golf carts from the same brand. Unfortunately however, sales were low – only 1,005 units were sold by the time production ceased in 2002.

However, a new version of the Think City is now ready to be launched after the Think production line was restarted in November, 2007. The new Think City is a two-seater highway capable electric car and around 100 vehicles have already been completed for Norway. Much like its predecessor it will be made from the same rugged thermoplastic exterior that doesn’t rust or dent and it produces no noise or exhaust emissions.

The new Think City is a vast improvement on the original model however, with the ability to accelerate to 50km/h in just 6.5 seconds and to 80km/h in 16 seconds. It also has a top speed of 110km/h.

Environmental credentials of the Think City

The Think City is one of the most environmentally friendly vehicles around thanks to its thermoplastic exterior and the fact it produces zero emissions. However, there are some environmentalists who argue that electric cars are not necessarily the best option for the environment as their energy is often produced from non-renewable resources such as coal. The UK Government has set a target for the National Grid to produce at least 15 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources, which will make the vehicles more environmentally friendly.

Nevertheless, electric cars such as the Think City are a better option than most petrol and diesel conventional vehicles as even with the production of energy taken into account, their carbon dioxide (CO2) emission levels are considerably lower according to leading scientists.

The Think City is expected to be released originally to the fleet sector in Norway and in London, where there are numerable financial incentives such as free parking, freedom from the London Congestion Charge and no vehicle excise duty.

Think City statistics

Here are some crucial statistics about the Think City:

• Charge time: Unknown.
• CO2 emissions: None.
• Engine: Advanced lithium-ion batteries.
• Range: 210km.
• Top speed: 110km/h.

Future of the Think City

The vehicle is to be launched in Sweden and Denmark in 2008, followed by a launch in the UK, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands in 2009. It is expected to retail at around £14,000 with customers paying an additional £140 a month for a ‘mobility pack’ which consists of a replacement battery in case the existing battery wears out. Stay tuned to TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk for more information.

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