Th!nk electric car to go on sale in UK; BMW, Nissan developing EVs
Thu 20 March 2008
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The makers of the Th!nk city electric car have announced that sales will begin in the UK before the end of 2008. The announcement of the re-launch of the Th!nk city was made at the Geneva Motor Show. Meanwhile, both Nissan and BMW are recently reported to be developing electric models.
The Th!nk city claims to be a true, modern urban car - not a quadricycle - with an energy efficiency three times that of a traditional combustion engine car. It has two seats, a top speed of 65mph and a range of 124 miles on a fully charged battery. A full charge from a domestic electricity socket will take ten hours the makers say.
The expected retail price of Th!nk city is £14,000. The car's batteries will be provided on a rental basis.
Meanwhile, BMW is also reported to be considering building an electric car as well as a number of new models intended for use in the World's larger cities. The Financial Times says that the German company will make a decision on the electric car this year after concluding it was technically possible.
BMW's chief executive, Norbert Reithofer recently revealed the existence of 'Project I' ('I' stands for 'innovation') and the electric car prototype when he presented the group’s annual results. The Project I task group is reportedly studying the optimum means for individual mobility in the large cities of the future and has identified the plug-in electric car as a favourite candidate.
Nissan and French alliance partner Renault has already announced the development of its first electric car, intended to be mass produced and sold as part of an integrated project with recharging infrastructure in Israel from 2011.
PSA Peugeot Citroen were also recently reported to be joining forces with Venturi Automobiles to supply Citroen Berlingo First or Partner-type electric vans in response to a tender from the French Post Office.
In related news, GE showed increasing interest in the fledgling electric car market, announcing that it has invested $4m (£2m) in Th!nk and $20m (£10m) in battery specialist A123Systems. The investment, from GE's Financial Services arm, is the largest cash investment in Lithium-ion battery developer A123Systems.
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