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The arrival on Britain’s roads of the first
fully electric-powered car moves one step
closer with the UK debut of the new TH!NK
city electric vehicle.
Norwegian electric vehicle pioneers Think, a
company with 17 years experience in electric
vehicles has announced that the new TH!NK
city will be available for UK
customer orders next summer.
TH!NK city is a true, modern urban
car, not a quadricycle. It is a fully
environmental vehicle, emission free and 95
percent recyclable. With an energy
efficiency three times that of a traditional
combustion engine car, it is a vehicle that
realistically meets the growing challenges
of environmental protection, traffic
congestion and emissions legislation.
The two-seater urban car has a top speed of
65 miles per hour. It accelerates from zero
to 30 mph in just 6.5 seconds and to 50 mph
in 16 seconds. It requires just an overnight
top-up of electricity and can travel for 126
miles in city driving on a fully charged
battery.
To charge the batteries from 20 per cent
capacity to 80 percent takes just four
hours. Over 10,000 miles use, the total cost
of electricity used to power a TH!NK
city will be in the region of £100.
TH!NK city is designed to meet the
strict safety requirements of both Europe
and the USA, as a genuinely-safe road car.
It is the world’s only crash-tested and
highway-certified EV. The car is equipped
with ABS brakes, airbags and three-point
safety belts with pretensioners and it
surpasses all European and US requirements.
“Unlike the lower-range, electric
quadricycles that have had limited success
in the UK, the TH!NK city is a real
car which provides a realistic option for
those motorists who want to drive a true
zero emissions car,” said Richard Blundell,
Managing Director of Think UK.
TH!NK city’s body is made of
recyclable ABS plastic, designed
specifically for city driving. Not only is
it ideal for motorists who want to avoid
visible scratches and irritating dents, the
unpainted, self-coloured plastic bodywork
also reduces both energy consumption and
toxins, while making the panels easier to
recycle. The battery is returned to the
supplier at the end of its useable life.
Standard equipment on each TH!NK city
includes power steering, central locking, a
4kW electric heater, and electric windows
and mirrors. Optional equipment will include
air conditioning, a pre-heat timer,
electrically heated windscreen, full length
sunroof, Radio CD with MP3, USB, Bluetooth,
a navigation & multimedia system, alloy
wheels, roof rack and 2 + 2 child seats
(including 3-point seat belts)
Production started this year in Norway, and
the first batch of right-hand drive cars
will be delivered to UK customers in summer
2009. Prices of the TH!NK city will
be announced closer to the on-sale date. |
