Norwegian Company Launches THINK Electric Car in No. America

[MacGyver920]

I'm Norwegian, and I'm glad this company died!

[xTUNERZx]

@MacGyver920 i aggre

[beachcomber2008]

They've certainly improved its appearance

In its first materialization it was uglier than an Allegro, and that's saying something

I designed this car's charging socket just before I retired - unless they've changed it since, of course

[mphello]

Had stupid Americans voted for Ralph Nader in 1996 and 2000 like they should have, we would all drive electric cars right now powered by solar and wind power, even if that meant carpooling (i.e. sharing cars), and the economy would be healthy and strong, because Nader would have banned the production and import of the obsolete gas-powered car. We'd save COLOSSAL amounts of money that is now wasted on wars for oil, damage due to manmade climate change, and banker bailouts.

[TheAutoChannel]

@mphello

Had Americans elected Ralph Nader for President there would be no America today. Nader may have had some good ideas on isolated issues, but he would have been as inept as Obama and Bush combined.

[mphello]

@TheAutoChannel Bullshit. Nader would have led the country in the right direction. Of course, no SINGLE person alone can change all laws. You'd still need EVERY level of office filled with true leaders (Green party).

Yeah - riiiight. As if. There is no America today under Republicrats and Demopubs.

[MrDANIELDMARTINRIOS]

@mphello we wouldn't even have to carpool

[cgrscott]

This is a very smart and sexy looking car but it's not what Think is shipping right now. Is this a new model for 2012 that is not shipping yet?

[heartlessvietboy]

European Automobile Manufacturing Technology can supercede Japanese and American Technology. They are right now building highly advanced vehicles.

[Mamakayi]

Looks a bit like Smart for 4...

[davis3001]

A welcome addition is the USA ! I hope the Nissan Leaf and the Mitisubishi i MiEV goes into production in the USA soon !! The sooner the better ! Why wait for the second Oil Crisis !?!

[Believia]

Norway, at $30k pe unity, as soon as the stupids with money will dry off, your EV will go bk. You'll make some money taugh, lol

[aaronlovespot]

fake and gay

[awajuk123]

think about it, more electric cars less demand for

fossil fuels, the price will go down.

Atomic energy does not pollute air, and this is

critical now. NO MORE CARBON DIOXIDE!!!

[csmaster65]

Yes when we are stupid CO2 is really bad. And in year 2150 the combined weight off all humans will send the earth out of orbit and collide with planet (X)!

[mosquiton001]

ok this is useless.. where the POWER to recharge the battery come from??

forom polluting power plants..

make a lot of this go around and more power plants (due to huge more request) will have to be built to keep up..

results??? less pollution from cars wich is REPLACED from pollution from power plants..

not to mention if thi power "needs" will make company build more nuclear plants..

that is not "enviromental friendly"

whant to be really green?? make solar powered cars.. that's it

[nutzw1]

from windmills and water energy

[clothearednincompoop]

"ok this is useless.. where the POWER to recharge the battery come from??"

Wind, water, sun renewable fuels, natural gas, nuclear power, fossil fuels...what ever. It does not matter from the car's point of view.

That way all the expensive high technology dealing with the pollutants will be centralised in the power plants, which is much easier than trying to make a zero-emission combustion engine car.

[Segsby]

@mosquiton001 Not useless. Electric vehicles convert 80-90% of their energy into pure motion. At best, an internal combustion engine is only 30% efficient; the rest is heat, noise & more pollution per mile than if you used the far more efficient energy extraction of a US coal power plant. Point source pollution is also a much easier issue to deal with, than millions of individual tailpipes spewing burnt hydrocarbons and noxious gases. It is in our best interest to use domestic electricity.

[gilessmokey]

@Segsby an electric motor at its best might be 80% efficient (the one i purchased recentley had a stated max efficiency of 60%) which is more realistic. howeather ac motors cannot be used without an inverter which will lose 15%,and a battery 20% a battery charger 10% losses.power distribution 10% and a power station with an efficiency of 50% these are realistic figures and overall efficiency will be less than that of petrol or diesel engine.

[csmaster65]

If you trace it back, all energy comes from the sun.

And before you start blaming efficient coal burning plants, learn about energy conversion efficiency.

[herbz1114]

yo i gots ways were you could never have to plug a car in or fill with gas yes the electric car was invented already but they are missing the point of relyability issues and not always will be able to stop for recharge you could make it so it makes its own power throught genoraters i might not make sence but i got the plans all down and it makes more sence then youd think it would

[ghon5]

Think is a fantastis company , great people and great engineers , thet are away a head of the curve , great people and enjoy their product !

[cdltpx]

Range and speed seem right believe it when I see it FOR REAL.

We own 2 ICE cars and really only need one. Either of our nastiest commutes round will be 70 miles speeds may reach 60 but briefly. Evaluate your life and you will see that most people really don't need 2 ICE cars. Cool thing about cars like this is you can set up a solar panel to tow behind the car and it would be all free energy.

[Anglichanen]

i hate these patronising silly names like Think or Smart! Stupid tossers drive them for one reason alone because they think its fashionable and the "in" thing. The same people will take several long haul flights each year etc. Its all bullshit. What do you think makes the electric? Coal powered stations!!! How many tons of Co2 is released in making a new car? I drive my old 2001 2.4jtd on used vegetable oil. Paris Hilton will probably drive one of these after she gets of her chartered jet. Cunt!

[norwegiantechnolover]

There is another norwegian car-manufactrer that isn't so familiar, with an even more stupid name. It's called "Buddy"... -.-

[Anglichanen]

pass me the sick bag please lol "Buddy"!!!!

[joohop]

MORE RETARD CRAP FFS 0121

[MadsWest]

The next generation of batteries are a lot more eco-friendly than todays'.

[irocx29]

w/up this VIDEO is only 2mins 39sec long W/UP with THAT? O I GET IT SPAM ON .

[DeviantSled]

How is it Emissions free when it runs on COAL?

[BoSJo99]

Very good point.

It's the biggest problem with the hype stories going around these days.

The entire population must switch to electric, then we will all be saved and live happily ever after........

Well where will we get that electricity from?

[filipiliescu]

There is another way to produce clean electrical energy like solar, wind, geothermal, water(rivers and tides) and "controlable waste" energy - nuclear. BUT thouse tipe of production make no more then 30% of our needs. The rest is made by burning fosil fuel. Also to be eficient for an electric car You must be PLUGED-IN! If a batery is used the eficiency drops becouse every bathery acts also like a resistor.

[tosterlleon]

There are many ways to get electricity without burning coal. Hydro-power for example.

But I guess the best way to save energy and clean environment is completely switch of all our cars to hybrids.

It will give energy economy and pollution reduction ~30% per car and will allow switching to fuel cells later.

[MadsWest]

It depends where in the world you live. True. In america you wont get much out of this car, but here in Denmark where more than 20% of our electricity comes from wind power, it is really a great idea. Furthermore, the great thing about electric cars is that most of us want to charge our cars at night. This means that a lot of the windpower that is not used in this period and therefore are going to waste, can be stored in these cars' batteries instead.

[ultimazer1]

Even when an EV is running with electricity from coal it's still much more environmentally friendly because its efficiency is at up to 95% whereas petrol engines have an efficiency of around 30%...and over time we will be able to switch to renewables. If all cars were switched to electric the overall increase of needed electricity in a country like germany - or any country - would be around only 5%!! This is can be done easily.

The question is not IF but WHEN we'll do it, there's no other way.

[Krieks002]

who told you electricity is only made of coal factories? water craft, wind craft, hydro plants, wave enegry plants, hello?

[jallaguri]

If they just could make good looking electric cars - looking like a soda crate

upside down. It allways have to be a funny looking thing. Make them more stream lined, sporty looking, but also with more space, good looking rims, LED lights, or HID. etc. etc.

[breadrack]

the commercials are annoying breaks in the video, take them out.

[rbfafe]

The engineering of this car is portuguese!!!

Lets put oil down!!!

[Thor17]

Hmm... nice music in the first half of the video. Reminds me of Royksopp.

[6of6]

I thought of Royksopp too. No credits though.

[markjv]

rarely see this, seems the smart car (sure its desel took over) :( not as green

[canadiancatgreen]

this is a neat car and the video on it is cool if it had words it would be a great commercial for the car. but words needed to tell us about the car

tell us

Why we should buy this car

not much but a few words

some commercials are to wordy or at least thats my opinon

great video

[melquideses]

No, Capitalism will not compel the electric car because is not profitable, unless electricity becomes a very expensive source of energy. Cars that run with water, with compressed air already exist and they are not available because there is no scarcity of those elements, therefore no "PROFIT" can be take out it. My comments are not conservative, they are pragmatic, that is why I suggest you to check out the inventors that I mentioned in my first comment,

[melquideses]

they are real heros who have invented efficient technologies at very low cost and that's why their patents have been suppressed in the name of "PROFIT". The only caveman attitude is our capitalism who is denying any source of a real clean and efficient energy, like the inquisition burning people who dare to say that the world is round.

[knightnoctum]

When the internal combustion engine was chosen as the standard for the industry, there were more steam and electric cars on the road because they were more efficient. That's also the reason those types of motors were not used. The internal combustion motor broke down more thus was more marketable. Parts and lots of them.

[melquideses]

"THINK" Electric car? Think again... Do you really think that the oil companies are going to let that happen? We will see the prices of electricity skyrocketing before an electric car runs freely in the market, think how many alternative energy had been suppressed; Stanley Myers, Bruce de Palma,Paul Pantone, GENEPAX, Cycclone magnetic engines and so on... "It is coming soon" but never arrives, its how it works and if it arrives it wont be free nor cheap I'll guarantee you that..Yes I am THINKING

[MagicTimeVideos]

mr. hermit, your cave is ready.

[melquideses]

Yes? What this is supposed to mean, want to elaborate a little bit?

[MagicTimeVideos]

I've read your comments before, history records lots of chicken littles telling us man can't fly, go to the moon, have video phones etc.

I'll bet the first log raft some ancient man launched probably sank and there was some guy sitting on the shore telling everyone how smart he was ecause he had said it couldn't be done. He couldn't concieve of modern ships so in his mind it couldn't be done.

Capitalism will compel the affordable electric car just as it did the ICE when oil was cheap

[pdxjules]

I own a Think Neighbor NEV...from the batch made in 2001-02. Care is VERY minimal compared to any gas-guzzler.

This Video is a bit of a Bait and Switch, IMO. As of today ,none are listed on their WebSite...and they do nothing to help you find and compare all Plug-In Electrics and Hybrids.

When you Buy, Please insist on an ALL-Electric. The Zap Zebra is a good alternative, and available in the USA - on Sale now at Eco-Motion on Sandy, in Portland, OR (Tell em pdx jules sent ya)

[fiattrickbox]

if an electric car goes 75 mph than am i sathisfied

[Bill25cycle]

I hope the Obama administration doesn't make electricity so expensive to the point where electric cars are unjustifiable. We have an ex-governor in NY state (USA) - Mario Cuomo, that transformed western new york from having one of the cheapest power costs to one having one of the most expensive. Of course, if Obama makes gasoline $10/gallon then everything is relative and electrics will still (by then) be a relatively good deal.

[djkenny]

make it 10k and service for free the 1st 3 years. hotcakes

[drewscreen]

Those who balk at the battery rental costs might consider the car-share business model. If ZipCar and CityCarShare pick up the THINK, which would be a perfect arrangement because of the dedicated parking (charging) spot, battery costs would be a moot point for share members.

[saglek]

Finally! North America!

Now, just get it past Transport Canada and get it onto the streets of P.E.I.!

Oh, Ford, you knew not what you did... and apparently still don't.

Bailout billions? Not until y'all start givin' yer collective and overpaid heads a shake and do things DIFFERENTLY with a veiw to where you want to be 40 years down the road.

It's all about goals, not gold.

[niswel]

The new concept is really, really nice. Hope it makes it to production. We need to get away from the gasoline powered vehicles, no mater what. Especially in urban areas, like Los Angeles, the old cars needs to be replaced as soon as possible for cleaner alternatives. This should have been done at the last oil crisis, 35 years ago...

[wickedweekends]

change!!

[simenhjort]

we need

[jstack6]

Just like the first PC's and Cell Phones a few will get them, the costs will come down and someday we may stop importing oil.

[djkenny]

What about someone who doesnt drive a lot? paying a constant $200, or even half that amount just to rent batteries? I dont spend that much on gas every month as I bike commute and bus around most of the time. I would be better off converting my 87 Chevy Sprint to Electric for 8 grand or something. I would have paid for batteries and not a fee every month. Come on guys, really? I need to rent the battery? This thing only makes sense for regular commuters.

[Heimdall01]

The 200 USD/Month is for Norway. It will not be so much in the US...

[Puppyjump]

I have a feeling we won't see an Aptera. I just saw that their CEO or VP is an Oil Exec.

[inventorisac]

Alternativas Sustentaveis; Energia: Eolica Horizontal TNHE. Hidraulica Flutuante TNVFAC. Inclusive para abastecer: Carros Eletricos e Movidos a Ar Comprimido TN. Qualidade do Ar DN para evitar Aquecimento Global. Procura Parcerias ou Patrocinadores.

[nipponhouseplayer]

Save one for George Bush!

[Puppyjump]

Neither GM nor any other legacy auto manufacturer will build an EV. As for EVs, Legacy auto companies won't build them because EVs never need service. Look how big the service department is at every car dealer, and your out-of-wallet experience there. Much revenue at risk. They don't make money selling cars. They make money on service, like a printer company that makes money selling ink cartridges.

[sierracuban]

Good point Puppyjump.....But with the Miles Electric car, the Aptera 300 miles-per-gallon car, and others, companies such as GM, Ford and all the rest, will have to kiss our butts.....

There is NO MORE of that buying out ideas, or killing them......The people of our nation are pissed......

[Heimdall01]

Never need service? Of course it does! It has moving parts, hence it needs servicing. Moving parts wears down. The batteries needs to be serviced 2-3 times per year.

[AraytaDenimore]

My favorite electric car so far is the VentureOne 'cause it's like a motorcycle-car combination.

[khrisinfo]

The auto channel

[Stratos666]

electric car's are the future!

too bad the design of the think ain't nothing compared to the TESLA Roadster oder the LOREMO...

[ZAPI2003]

bye bye GM and Ford. You don't know what you lost: the world market of EV.

[mehulkamdar]

Where has this car been launched in North America? I would like to do a test drive if possible and, yes, buy one as it would suit my driving in the Chicago suburbs perfectly.

[Heimdall01]

It has not been launched yet. The company says : Next year! But there have been some delays. Originally Tesla was supposed to have provided the batteries, but the deal broke down. As for sale in the US, I belive southern California will be served first.

Here in Norway the first cars were delivered last month.

It has a 180 km range, and a max speed of 100 kmh (It could go faster, but in order to save the batteries it is electrically set at 65 mph = 100 kmh)

[mehulkamdar]

I think the focus on California for every green tech is more than a little silly. People drive shorter distances over here in Chicago to work and back and they are very conscious of the environment. Also, fuel prices in Chicago and its suburbs are the highest in the USA. Think would do well to consider launching their car at multiple locations instead of trying to be a one state wonder.

Thanks for the feedback. Hope Think launch soon - gas is selling at $ 4.49 a gallon in Chicago.

[6of6]

THINK released its first U.S. EV-Ready Cities Index. The top four cities included first-ranked Los Angeles & second-ranked San Francisco with Chicago and New York tied for third.

[mehulkamdar]

I would think that Austin TX is also a city that would rank very high. In any case, if they launch in Chicago, they would do well. There are many environmentally conscious people here and aren't the cars going to be built just across the border in Indiana anyway? Thanks for this information and I hope to test drive one and consider buying it if it becomes available in Chicago. For my 25 miles a day commute it would be perfect.

[6of6]

Agreed mehulkamdar! My 8 mile commute here in Los Angeles would allow me to plug it in as infrequently as I do my cell phone. One day soon . . .

[BaaEnsaaf]

electric cars are so much in demand today that if a backyard company starts doing a reasonably good electric car, in a short time it will become more famous than toyota or any other, and will grow to a stagering size. if i had some money and good electrical and mechanical knowlegde, i would start it myself.

[HighLifeSthlm]

Nice! I want one!

[1888junkteam]

thats about $7 a day rental fee or getting close to a 1 gallon charge of gas a day

[ninjamasterseagal]

norweigan car.... no thanks ;)

[musclerotton]

think's design was originally the creation of FORD, an american company, in the 90's. it was then sold to the norweigans sometime later when the hype for electric cars died down.

[methinxaweezil]

They were making cars years before Ford bought the Norwegian company in 1999 to help them meet the california zero emission vehicle mandate. Ford redesigned the vehicle but ditched the whole project when the laws changed and a Norwegian group eventually acquired it.

[Qi24]

norweigan car... thanks :)

[avenuecinema]

At $200 per month "battery maintenance" I could drive a Mini for less.

[Killroy1999]

I would buy a Think for $20K. All I need is two doors and two seats as long as it goes freeway speeds.

Charging a electric car is only $0.02 per mile. Fueling a gas engine is on average today $0.16 per mile. Maintenance is really low on a electric car and reliability is high. But cost does not matter that much because electricity is much cleaner even when burning relatively dirty sources like coal. California electricity is best. Lots of renewable especially by 2010

Rock on Think.

[Rickdeckard2020]

I agree, but unfortunately it appears that on top of the Car's price, they want to charge a monthly battery rental (200$?) fee. Its as if you buy a car and the car salesman says "oh, yea, and by the way you have to pay 200$ a month to rent the Pistons of your car, we sell you the car but rent the pistons".

[Killroy1999]

I would be willing to bay a service to have the batteries replaced and servided whenever needed, but not at a steep fee of $200/ month.

[Heimdall01]

I do not think it will be 200 USD. Here is Norway its 200+ USD, but we norwegians are used to extremely high car costs. I belive something around 100-125 USD will be the case.

The batteries are the single most expensive part og an EV-vehicle. If it breaks down it easlily will cost you 15-20 000 USD (or more)

For the moment you are lucky if the batteries last more than 5 years. I personally would gladly pay 100 dollars a month, since Think will then replace my battery WHEN it breaks down.

[wetweasel56]

Better tell the people of Think to think again. We spend $120/month on gas, how is this going to appeal to us?

[primarytech]

-You just plug it into a regular house outlet

-It will cost just below $20,000

-Not sure about maintenance.

[Rickdeckard2020]

Stats and price look promising for a 4 seater highway certified electric car.

The only thing I'm really worried about is that in the UK it appears theyre planning a racket in which costumers have to "rent" the Battery, so you are still the captive consumer of a vampire sucking rental $ instead of gas

As for maintenance, the people I know that have used 'other' electric cars say theres almost NO maintenance required(excpet tires and brakes), thats in part why Big Car makers killed the EVs

[primarytech]

As of right now in the State of California, they have not come up with the idea of "renting" the battery. I would not be surprised that they pull off some kind of a stunt before the vehicle is released.

Good to know in regards to maintenance. No more "check engine" lights :)

[guilleman9]

how u charge it?

how much does it cost you to charge it?

who knows about the maintenance og this technology?