Think Ox – electric cars

As the first designated five-seat fully electric vehicle, the Think Ox is the basis for a variety of vehicle styles as Norwegian manufacturer Think Global attempts to establish itself in the market after the fall of its predecessor, which was owned by Ford.

Quick links:

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

History of the Think Ox

The Personal Independent Vehicle Company was founded in December 1991 and, after launching a number of prototypes, attracted the attention of Ford which bought the company and began production of the Think City car. When that venture proved underwhelming, the company was acquired by KamKorp in 2003 before Norwegian investment group InSpire took the reins in March 2006 and renamed the company Think Global.

At the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, Think unveiled the Ox – a five-seat concept car that could provide the platform for a variety of different body styles.

As the basis for a variety of styles, it has been designed for the European, American and Asian markets with a crossover five-seater the first to be showcased. The official Think Ox website also makes reference to an MPV version, which is seen as being like a taxi but with larger luggage space. There are also coupe and sports versions with larger battery capacity and higher performance.

The Think Ox can be charged at any normal power point and the lithium-ion batteries take less than an hour to be charged to 80 per cent of their capacity using a high-power off-board fast charger. The driving range is targeted at 200km for highway and city summer driving.

Environmental credentials of the Think Ox

The Think Ox is a zero emission vehicle which is available with two different standards of battery packs meaning it should appeal to those who want higher performance from their vehicle. This should allow optimal use based on the geographic region and type of use required. The battery packs are:

- High stack: two compartments, allows use of low cost, high range sodium batteries.

- Low stack: gives space for flat lithium-ion packs, allows lower/upper frame for sports car and flat flow applications.

As with most electric cars, the Think Ox uses power taken from the National Grid to charge the battery packs and much of this power is from non-renewable sources. As such, it is questionable as to whether these cars can truly be described as emission free – though they do not directly produce emissions, their energy sources do. Therefore, as more energy is produced from renewable sources such as wind and hydro power, these vehicles can be described as a cleaner alternative.

Nevertheless as a greener alternative to conventional cars, vehicles such as the Think Ox have financial benefits including exemption from vehicle excise duty and the London Congestion Charge.

Think Ox statistics

Here are some crucial statistics about the Think Ox:

• Charge time: Twelve hours using the onboard charger.
• CO2 emissions: None.
• Engine: Advanced lithium-ion batteries.
• Range: 200km.
• Top speed: 135km/h.

Future of the Think Ox

The Think Ox is scheduled for delivery in 2011 or 2012. We’ll have more information on this exciting new concept as the months pass here on TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk.

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