Th!nk! Can This Eco-friendly Car Start an Electronic Revolution?

by kferaday | July 10, 2008 at 08:23 pm

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With gas prices at or near all time highs, electric cars that are truly viable in urban settings can't come to market fast enough. The slick design of the Ox is bound to appeal to younger/single drivers but the size will likely make it a tougher sell for families. It's interesting to note that Kleiner Perkins is an investor. They've made a real push into green tech and some like EEstor have real potential.

Th!nks total lifecycle managment program is also noteworthy and one which manufacturers generally would do well to emulate. Clearly they are striving for a zero footprint through the entire product lifecycle. Now if only we could get the same investment and energy behind promising North American manufacturers like Zenn and Dynasty.

For pint-size designs, these electric cars seem to dream of a global revolution where many fear to tread, or have tried with not very impressive results. And think about it, these cars are 100% recyclable!

But Th!nk Global, yes, think with an exclamation mark, a Norwegian company buoyed by undisclosed funding injection by Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and RockPort Capital Partners, is rolling out the Ox, Open and City in North America within three years after a gallant start in Europe and I can’t stop to think when they’ll ever get to Africa.

Think cars are gas-free, city cars that will start selling in the US next year but the actual mass roll out is slated for sometime in 2011, and the company has recently opened its North American division to steer the promising mad drive from the gas pumps.

Which, I think, is good news for those who feel fuel prices are already over the top, with more pump shocks yet to come if the global crude price projection is anything to go by?

Think, with more than 17 years of experience in developing and producing electric vehicles, designs, develops, manufactures and markets environmentally friendly vehicles and technologies. There are about 1,200 Think concept vehicles driving on European, mostly Norwegian, roads today