Think unveils new electric car, GE investment

General Electric has officially confirmed its $4 million investment in Norwegian electric carmaker Think Global, a development Green Wombat reported back in December.  GE Energy Financial Services (GE) also has invested $20 million in Massachusetts lithium-ion battery maker A123Systems, which will supply batteries to Think. General Electric said its scientists will work with both Think and A123 to improve battery technology for electric cars to “enable global electrification of transportation.”

And as Green Wombat reported last week, Think, formerly owned by Ford (F), unveiled its next model Wednesday at the Geneva Auto Show, a futuristic five-seater called the Think Ox that will eventually be available as a two-door coupe and possibly a taxi. The sleek five-door vehicle resembles a low-slung crossover SUV but maintains the signature touches of the Think City — an urban runabout now rolling off Think’s production line in Norway — including the roof-to-bump glass rear hatch. The concept car also sports a translucent roof with a solar panel, presumably to run radios and other equipment.

According to Think, the Ox will have a range of about 125 miles (200 kilometers) on a charge and a top speed of about 85 miles an hour. Future models may include a range extender — a small flex-fuel engine that will charge the battery and let the Ox go 280 miles. (The General Motors (GM) Volt electric hybrid is based on the same concept.) Think also unveiled its “connect car” technology to make the Think City and Ox a rolling Internet-connected, GPS-enabled computer that will calculate the cheapest and most environmentally beneficial times to recharge as well as give drivers access to the cars’ systems through their mobile phones.

When Green Wombat caught up with CEO Jan-Olaf Willums in San Francisco last week he emphasized that although the Ox is being presented as a concept car, the technology is almost ready for prime time and the car that is expected to hit the market in 2011 will resemble the show version.

Comments

[anonymous]

Hi Todd, really enjoy your blog. Thanks for taking the time to do it and promote our health and well being.

I really like this alternative transportation space and finally companies such as Th!nk are getting the attention they deserve. Way too long coming IMHO.

I wanted to let you know about two other companies worth mentioning. First is electric carmaker, ZAP, www.zapworld.com. They have been selling cars for years now but I guess don't get much attention because they have already been around for a while.

The other is Hybrid Dynamics Corp., www.hybriddynamics.com. They plan on using proprietary technology in the mid-tier scooter market.

Anyway, just food for thought.

Cheers...

[EntropyBrain]

2011

What a joke. search the web for EV conversion and just do it yourself. The car companies are WAY behind the power curve...as usual.

[Ian S]

I found this regarding green energy and I thought I would pass it along.

Reason for more stringent pollution control standards for coal plants

"Dr. Jennifer Sass, senior scientist, NRDC Public Health Program, said: "We need to remind that this is not just some fight in a court room. It also goes to the heart of a major public health crisis. Failing to clean up mercury pollution sentences our children to a life of lost opportunities. Mt. Sinai researchers have used data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and studies that link elevated mercury levels with IQ loss to estimate that 300,000-600,000 children each year are born with mercury in their blood at levels associated with a loss of IQ. The Mt. Sinai study limited its calculations to the costs associated with loss of intelligence only. There also are data from Europe suggesting that mercury poisoning is associated with increases in deaths from heart disease, which is the top killer in the United States."
http://www.poweronline.com/content/news/article.asp?docid=8102dc06-b7c9-42c7-922d-0b4bb7af7bd9

[Jason Morris]

Once battery technology improves, electric cars become much more viable. Combine that with recharging cars from renewable sources and you have an renewable energy infrastructure that eliminates a lot of the pollution driven by cars. It is a very exciting time to watch this market.

[PM]

The looks of the new crop of EVs coming out are all pretty good. This one reminds me of the REVA more than the Zap or Tesla, but Im starting to get a feel for these nice EVs. Good technology!

[Debby]

HI no one will buy a car that looks so futuristic. My recommendation is to rethink the design so it will appeal to more people.

[Rafael]

awesome. i'd buy it in a heartbeat. but we have to wait too long!

[Donald Nelson]

Has anyone computed equivalent MPG for these?
My Civic Hybrid cost about .08 per mile at the current gas prices. How much electricity would one of these consume to charge enough to run 100 miles?
Regarding the solar roof panels, wouldn't they deliver some recharge over a 9 hour daylight period while you were at work?
Thanks for any reples or links with info,

Don

[Lance]

Interesting how all these wundercars look like something Luke Skywalker drives on Tatooine. PM is right, no one will take it seriously. Show me a regular ol steel bodied Corolla-like electric car that goes 80-100 miles on a charge and let's see it in the local car lots, not on some far away Internet site. Otherwise, stop posting this crap.