Th!nk "Spy" photos

So I was out walking here in Hopkinton, MA and guess what I found parked outside A123 Systems parking lot? A brand new Th!nk with Norwegian plates. Its parkef just next to the their plug-in hybrid's test mule....

Makes my mouth water! I think the reason the th!nk is so high of the ground it because it was delivered "empty" from Norway....

I'm trying to setup a guided tour of their facility... So maybe just maybe I can find out more.

The first picture show their A123 system plug-in test mule.... I would love to take that one for a spin!

To find out more about this EV go to http://www.think.no/

 

My wife and I have been talking and we're considering getting two Think EVs for commuting and an old beat up Volvo Station Wagon as a "family mobile". That and the solar panels we will have installed would put a serious dent in our carbon dependency!

 

It's actually cuter in real life... but yeah the design is perhaps not the selling feature of this car.

 

Chevy Volt will use batteries from the same manufacturer (a123) but somehow I don't suspect to see one parked outside anytime soon...

 

The car looks a little like a cross between a mini and a smart car (crossed with a golf cart). It's a little plasticy but still cool looking to me. I like the turn signals on the side of the car.

The car as I understand it was developed when Ford owned them and the steering wheel etc looks taken from a Ford Focus.

The one thing I couldn't see in this car was AC... and there are all analog meters inside. I was hoping it would provide more feedback on battery left etc.

Still this is one of the electric cars I actually believe will be sold here shortly and it meets my minimum reqs

 

The think was owned by Ford and developed through them. They sold it off a couple of years ago which looked bad for the company. They have an older model that is "common" in Oslo. I saw several when I was there as well as a caravan of this new model (probably with journalists). This is simply a new model and a re-introduction to US. Far more real then a Chevy and far simple construction. More then that a seemingly working model is parked outside the battery manufacturer here in US. That's kinda cool! This is no prototype in my mind.

This car I believe will be sold within the next few years. The Chevy I don't.

 

Thanks for the wiki link.

I agree with the lack of vision but I'm not sure Toyota was any better. Just lucky. They are still a VERY dirty car company. I would have prefered a Honda Prius but unfortunatley I don't think the Honda assist hybrid is the way of the future.

I was thinking about EVs on my way to work today. Going from a ICE to an EV is a big step for the consumer. The prius fills a great first step (and a PHEV would be even better). It allows you to know that you can drive as far as you want but gets you hooked onto cleaner/smarter ways of transportation. From a Prius to a EV the step is smaller.

I know that I wasn't interested in the EVs when it was launched before. My mind wasn't ready (thanks marketing!). This time I think EVs have a better chance of succeding as some part of hybrid owners have converted their thinking.

At least this is what I hope. Oh! And we now understand better our reliance on foreign oil and the implications it brings.

 

Hmm the specs are a little anemic (from the wikipage):

The two-seater urban car has a top speed of 110km/h. It accelerates from zero to 50km/h in just 6.5 seconds and to 80km/h in 16 seconds. It requires just an overnight top-up of electricity and can travel for 210km in city driving on a fully charged battery"

Also the battery will be leased, which is a little scary. What happens if/when they go out of business. The cool thing it that it would possibly open for 3rd party batteries...

 

From the wiki page

Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums indicated that the City will sell in the US for $15,000 - $17,000, with a Mobility Fee of $100-$200 to lease the batteries that may also include Wireless and Car Insurance.

The batteries will be leased but you will own the car. Not sure I like this idea; what happens if th!nk folds (again)? Also there will be several options for battery technology and ranges.

Still, of the cars I know about I think this one is closest most realistic to actually launch. My other point is that all EVs being launched are smallish; the pheonix SUV still to small for my needs (family + dogs) so I will need an EV daily commuter and a cheaper family wagon. If I need to go that path I want the smallest EV commuter I can get my hands on. This one seem to be it so far.

Hopefully Mercedes will launch the smart EV around the same time. The Smart has a more proven saftey record; and service should be easier....