Think City EV?

I believe the release of the Leaf and the Volt is a very good thing, the more competition and choices the better. But with major auto makers producing EVs, EREVs and Plug in Hybrids in mass production numbers, what will happen to the little guys? (Think, Aptera, Tesla, Zebra, Zenn, Mini, etc etc etc)

 

i thought about the think and although i have registered to buy a Leaf, it is NOT out the running, but like the Tesla S, its not my primary choice because it is smaller and without having actually seen one (i guess my main reason for being excited about the Leaf is because i have actually TOUCHED IT!... 10 minutes of up close and personal beats 3 years of online access any day!!) its hard for me to make the decision that i could live with its size. on first glance, probably not but then again, if its cheap enough i will definitely consider it.

now for many on the Leaf thread who were complaining about not being in one of the initial launch areas, i notice the NE is very well represented in the think rollout plans. maybe that might be a good segway for someone looking for a commuter only vehicle

 

There are two factors that would influence my decision to purchase a Think City.
1. Price...for the size vehicle it is, I wouldn't go much over $20K
2. Fit...I'm 6'2" and I sit tall! If it doesn't have enough head or leg room, it's a no-go.

I live in SE Michigan, but I'd be willing to run over to Chicago (one of their target cities) to pick one up...even though I'd have to tow it back to Detroit. It would be used primarily as a commuter vehicle (~40mi RT). After work I could probably use it for close-range shopping. I'd keep my Prius for long-distance drives or if I need more cargo space.

 

my max price point would actually be about 17-18 k. i have a 2 seat EV now that meets my daily driving needs. i would not get rid of it for something that i feel would not be able to transport my family and be able to haul a few things with it. but once again, without having actually seen one, its hard to say. i guess we need a nationwide Fit tour.

for your commute and area, i would be hesitant. now if you could plug in at work, even 110 volts would be more than enough since you would be charging at least 8 hours, then go for it. otherwise, i think you are going just a bit too close to the range limit for my comfort level.

 

If it were available here, I'd want to research: crash safety (since it's freeway-capable) and acceleration (is it fast enough to merge safely). They say it's got a 160 km range. So if it passes those criteria, I'd buy it if it was available here before the Leaf. The small size does not bother me.

 

it does not appear that it will be here before the Leaf at least they have no definitive date yet. (does say it will be available "later this year" in select markets which is a much larger area than the Leaf target market) BUT it will start being built here "early 2011" in IN, so it sounds like it might happen quicker if you are not in the initial launch areas. and it is being sold in Europe right now...

EU PC'ers!! we need some personal input. have u seen one? do u know anyone who has one?? what do u "think"...(pun intended)

 

The 40 miles is round trip mileage. Slightly less than 20 miles each way. If necessary, I can drive 45mph or less each way, but it would be nice if I could go home at highway speeds.

 

ohhhh!!! ok then no problem. i thought it was one way which used to be very common in that area (having commuted to Mt Clemens along with half the town of Port Huron)

i have to guess that the severest of winter days will lower your range to 70-80 miles which is way more than enough for what you need. plus, i am pretty sure when the Leaf is successful along with the spate of other EV's/ plug ins, charging spots will be very common

 

I wouldn't count on the Leaf being a factor. Perhaps the Volt might though. I made inquiries with my employer after I bought a 2kwh Enginer system and was told that they were 'studying' the feasibility. i.e. Forget it for the near future.

 

Think has been building and selling EVs in Europe for 18 years.

This company is not a Johnny come lately.

This is a must read:
THINK Goes Myth Busting for Earth Day:
Top 10 Myths About Electric Vehicles—Busted!
Find it here.

Can you have sex in this car? Find out in this thread.

 

Here's me in a Think in 2002.



I'm just about 6' tall, and I could about wear a cowboy hat in there. The newer Thinks are bigger in every dimension, I believe. I sure wouldn't worry about headroom! These were fantastic cars, and the new ones should be unbelievable.

 

Well then, if it comes to Spokane before the Leaf, and has enough acceleration for safe and comfoprtable freeway merging, count me in. (Unless my electric Porsche is ready before then. )

 

All I can tell you is that the one you see me in there only had a top speed of 50 mph... but it could accelerate up to that speed every bit as capably as my Rav4EV does. I see absolutely NO reason why the new one wouldn't be better in every respect. They'd have to work pretty hard at making it too slow to be useful. My semi-educated guess is that it will have similar performance characteristics to the LEAF.

 

6 feet, eh? ... well I'm 5'-5" ... so you got some explaining.