21 Jul 08 13:30
Th!nk City
Norwegian electric car-builder Th!nk - bought, then discarded by Ford some years ago - is staging a comeback at the British Motor Show.
Its new City car is the only fully crash-tested and highway-certified electric vehicle currently on offer. Th!nk makes the point that this two-seater is a 'true, modern car', and not a quadricycle.
The new Th!nk City, a substantial advance on the company's earlier models, is also considerably more versatile than its electric rivals, offering a top speed of 65mph and a range of up to 126 miles of city-type driving. It can accelerate 0-30mph in 6.5 seconds, and 0-50mph in 16 seconds, making it much better-able to cope with everyday traffic conditions, and its battery can be charged from 20% capacity to 80% in four hours.
Equipment includes anti-lock brakes, airbags and three-point seatbelts with pretensioners, as well as central locking, power steering, an electric heater, electric windows and powered mirrors. Options will include air conditioning, a heated windscreen, full-length sunroof, a radio/CD/MP3 player, USB inputs, Bluetooth phone connectivity, sat nav and multimedia system, alloy wheels, a roof rack and extra rear child seats (with three-point seatbelts).
With unpainted, self-coloured plastic body panels, the Th!nk City should stand up well to the knocks and scrapes it will inevitably gather around town - and at the end of its useful life, it is 95% recyclable.
Production has already started in Norway, with the first right-hand drive cars arriving in the UK next summer. Prices will be announced nearer to launch, although a starting price of around £14,000 is estimated.
Check out the rest of our British Motor Show coverage.
