Think to build and sell City and Ox EVs in America

Posted Fri May 30 2008 1:37 PM by Nelson Ireson

As the U.S. dollar remains weak and rising fuel prices boost interest in alternative methods of transport, more and more carmakers - especially hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) makers - are looking to build their cars in the country. Earlier today it emerged that Toyota is considering building its Prius in its GM-shared California factory, and now Norwegian EV firm Think Global is planning to add a U.S. plant to help it establish a presence in the market.

Silicon Valley venture capitalists are backing the plan to build and sell the 110mi range EV, whose U.S. offices are now based in Menlo Park, California. Because the car, appropriately called the City, is a city car intended for urban use, rather than interurban or suburban travel, Think will focus its energy on major cities, likely starting with the United States' west coast markets like San Francisco and Seattle, reports The Wall Street Journal. A new model, called the Ox, designed as a crossover with room for five, is planned for late 2010 in Europe, with the U.S. launch expected sometime after that.

Norwegian production of the Think EV is currently struggling to meet European demand, and the factory is working to increase production to reach 10,000 units per year. One of Think's U.S. venture capital backers thinks demand is high enough that U.S. production could eventually reach 30,000 to 50,000 units annually. It would obviously take several years for production to ramp up to such goals.

The City will be outfitted with a choice of three optional battery packs, all beefed up to keep pace with fast U.S. traffic. One will be what Think describes as a 'sodium' battery pack, the other two will be lithium-ion versions.

Initial U.S. production and sales of the City EV will begin 2009, a year before Nissan's recently announced EV and General Motors' Volt are due. Prices are expected to start below $25,000.

Think City EV

Think Ox EV

Gallery: Think City EV

Gallery: Think Ox crossover EV

Reader Comments

Fri May 30 2008 4:24 PM
burke says

That is definitely good news...
Fri May 30 2008 11:47 PM
chris says

what would be even better news is a car that doesnt look like crap. I'm sick of these hybrids and EV's that say "LOOK AT ME.. IM SO UGLY.. CLEARLY I'VE GOT SOMETHING SPECIAL GOING ON OR ELSE NO ONE WOULD HAVE BOUGHT ME".... its a working gorwn up version of that fischer price red and yellow car that every one of us had.. no matter how old you are.. you had that stupid car.

and some norwegian said "thats a great idea!"

heres an idea... make an EV that looks like the fiesta concept... or something elegant, sporty, clean, and refined like that. I really think that that is why the volt is going to sell so well. cause it just looks like a really nice car... it looks like the kind of car that you want cause of the looks of it. oh.. and its an EV... by the way. "that doesnt matter.. i want that car.. looks nice.." thats what people need to say.
Mon Jun 2 2008 10:14 PM
andrew danish says

best news i've heard all day!

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