Th!nk OX all electric car coming soon...

[tron3]

2011 in America to be precise.

These Scandanavian designed cars come in three models. The smaller, "City". the larger 'Ox", and the topless "Open". Go figure.

http://www.think.no/think/Press-Pict...-Ox/Think-Ox-7
http://www.tuvie.com/thnk-ox-with-95...rior-materials

Personally, I fell in love with the Ox in black and I want one. Recharging it at home a 3 times a week (for my needs) is still better and cheaper than stopping for gas. Not to mention there are no oil changes, no spark plugs, no general tune up, etc.


While not as flashy or fast as the Testla models, these will be affordably priced for average consumers. I can not wait!

[xtop]

actually looks pretty good. but man the tesla sedan looks sooooo nice. we need these electric companies to merge so they dont all fail tho. tesla is full of problems, and ive never even heard of this one

[tron3]

Th!nk is an overseas model right now. So you won't see much American press for it - yet. I say they don't merge. Competition is good for consumers. Let Testla be the Lexus of the EV (Electric Vehicle) world.

In my research Th!nk is the only company I found to have a working EV for the middle class. The Chevy VOLT looks hot as hell, but still doesn't get the reported 20 miles per charge. This startup is doing what the big guys can not do. America is founded on business started in "garages". Even though the Th!nk garage was in Europe, I see great things for them in America.

[mikejet]

What do they consider "affordable"?

[tron3]

Originally Posted by mikejet

What do they consider "affordable"?

The City model is under 25 grand. There is no telling what prices will be when it comes to America in 2011. The economy will affect price. There is so much less in terms of parts & labor that the price should be good. Again, you will pay somewhat of a premium for the prestige and conveinence of an EV.

Look at it this way. As of right now, these cars average 125 miles a charge with Lithium Polymer batteries. They will have a Sodium battery option which in turn boosts the milage. They have no numbers on this yet.

I am still willing to go as high as 30 grand because over the life of the car I get all that back in reduced maintainence and even insurance cost! The real savings is 5 to 7 years into ownership depending on how much you save over your last car.

The photo-voltaic roof is just the icing on the cake.

[xtop]

they need to start thinking big if they want to stick around. we need public charging garages to park when we're at work. we need gas stations with quick charge stations to get us the extra little bit. obviously prices need to come down, but theres not much that can be done about that right now.

the biggest question will be how reliable will these be. i can see it now. 2 years in and the batteries stop holding charges. or since these are new companies, the cars themselves fall apart.

just so many questions. but gm is going the right route with the volt. and tron..doesnt it get 40 on the battery? not 20?

[SellmeyourDVD]

But watch, not gas is going to go back way below the $2 mark and everyone will start buying SUVs and Trucks again.

I've been telling a lot of my friends for the past year this would happen, that after all these auto manufacturers were going to come out with all of these highly fuel efficient cars and than gas would drop durastically in price. People don't care about the envioroment, they care about how much money they have to spend on everyday activities.

Just think if no one buys these cars since gas will be that much cheaper. that will be the final blow to the auto industry in america.

IMO i just think that the people who control oil have found a way to manipulate the world.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by xtop

they need to start thinking big if they want to stick around. we need public charging garages to park when we're at work. we need gas stations with quick charge stations to get us the extra little bit. obviously prices need to come down, but theres not much that can be done about that right now.
...

These come in time as places like Walmart and big box retailers want to attract these kinds of customers and provide this service. These cars can quick charge to 80% with an hour charge. For the cost of pennies to the business for "free" electricty to the EV consumer, they in turn spend at least an hour shopping in their store.

Personally, I believe bigger and better solar panels on the roof is needed. My car sits in the company parking lot 8 hours a day getting direct sunlight all day. Why should I care about plugging it in when the sun is giving me free energy to at least partially charge the car and get me home?

I figure, between the Sodium batteries, the solar roof I might only need to charge at home once a week. I drive 200+ miles every week just for work. Plus, if I can get a full sized solar sunscreen for the windshield I can double the power of charging the car on sunlight alone.

Based on loose power estimations, I expect the battery to somewhat deplete by the end of the week. But still be very drivable because the solar energy is saving me tons of power while driving and parked. The car partially charges over the weekend with just sunlight! (Providing I don't need to take any trips.)

Then I plug it in on Sunday night to top it off, thus reducing the cost of using home energy. Tell me, how can I lose?

[Marquoz]

Silly question, but you said it charges 3 times a week for what you use. How much does it actually need to charge in kwH? I've never quite found those figures anywhere, so was wondering what the actual cost per recharge was based upon current electric rates.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by SellmeyourDVD

But watch, not gas is going to go back way below the $2 mark and everyone will start buying SUVs and Trucks again.

I've been telling a lot of my friends for the past year this would happen,...

True, this economic downturn is driving gas prices down and that is a good thing. But when the economy booms, so does the price of gas. When I bought my car in October 1999, gas was cheap. It even bottomed out to $1 a gallon in 2000. But I bought a car with 27 MPG which was designed to run on regular gas. Why? I KNEW the price of gas could only go up. Thus it did.

I don't care if gasoline drops below two bucks except for how it benefits my wallet. Again, there is more to be saved on fuel, maintainence, and insurance. Green for the environment means more green in my pocket.

Maybe the Volt is rated for 40 miles per charge. I don't recall. Maybe they doubled it. But that is a FAR cry of 125 MPC (Miles per Charge) for the Ox. Hey, I invented an acronym!

[tron3]

Originally Posted by Marquoz

Silly question, but you said it charges 3 times a week for what you use. How much does it actually need to charge in kwH? I've never quite found those figures anywhere, so was wondering what the actual cost per recharge was based upon current electric rates.

I heard some numbers in a youtube video which suggested about 120 English Pounds a year charging during peak hours at maximum cost. Just over $193 A YEAR for us. Providing you are giving the car a full charge each time. I believe the estimate was for daily charging to boot. 'tricity is cheap, man.

Ammendment from the web site:

The average cost to charge the TH!NK city (about 30kWh of electricity) is approximately $1.50 (averaging current US power company rates). This is based on charging the vehicle completely.

If you spend $20 a week to fill your car with gas it is $1040 a year for fuel. I doubt anyone is doing a full 30kWh charge every day for this car. Now compare that moderate fuel estimate to charging the Th!nk City.

Full charge 7 times a week is $10.50 weekly, or $546 a year.
Full charge 3 times a week is $4.50 a week, or $234 a year.
Full charge 2 times a week is $3.00 a week, or $156 a year.
Full charge 1 time a week is $1.50 a week, or $78 a year.

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by tron3

True, this economic downturn is driving gas prices down and that is a good thing. But when the economy booms, so does the price of gas. When I bought my car in October 1999, gas was cheap. It even bottomed out to $1 a gallon in 2000. But I bought a car with 27 MPG which was designed to run on regular gas. Why? I KNEW the price of gas could only go up. Thus it did.

I don't care if gasoline drops below two bucks except for how it benefits my wallet. Again, there is more to be saved on feul, maintainence, and insurance. Green for the environment means more green in my pocket.

Maybe the Volt is rated for 40 miles per charge. I don't recall. Maybe they doubled it. But that is a FAR cry of 125 MPC (Miles per Charge) for the Ox.
Hey, I invented an acronym!

I still plan on getting an electric car when it does come out, but i'm just afraid that no one else will and our econonmy will in turn take another nose dive and we'll be headed for even rougher times

[tron3]

Originally Posted by SellmeyourDVD

I still plan on getting an electric car when it does come out, but i'm just afraid that no one else will and our econonmy will in turn take another nose dive and we'll be headed for even rougher times

The economy does funny things to people. When times are tough, people still buy cars, but they buy smaller cars with better gas mileage to save money. While I expect the economy to bounce back sooner or later, an unstable economy and medium to high gas prices would help this car to boom.

The "Total Cost of Ownership" is so low for these cars. It is marketable for so many reasons and to different market segments. The "sporty" types, the "green" types, and the "savings" types. A Th!nk EV has little appeal to the snob types who like to have expensive things, but that is why we have Testla around.

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by tron3

The economy does funny things to people. When times are tough, people still buy cars, but they buy smaller cars with better gas mileage to save money. While I expect the economy to bounce back sooner or later, an unstable economy and medium to high gas prices would help this car to boom.

The "Total Cost of Ownership" is so low for these cars. It is marketable for so many reasons and to different market segments. The "sporty" types, the "green" types, and the "savings" types. A Th!nk EV has little appeal to the snob types who like to have expensive things, but that is why we have Testla around.

I'd love to get my hands on a Tesla but not everyone has 90k+ to spend on that kind of a car . Maybe 10-15 years in the future those cars will be ready availible in the 50-60k range and than i'd jump all over it.

I'm just worried that at this moment with the economy as gloomy as it is that not many people will jump on board a Volt that is going to be around 40k to start. I wish they would of been closer to the 30k they were advertising when they first decided to do the project. I'll still be buying one when they come out though unless they are considerable higher than 40k.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by SellmeyourDVD

I'd love to get my hands on a Tesla but not everyone has 90k+ to spend on that kind of a car ...
....

Even with that kind of cash to waste, I doubt I would get one. I find those those 2 seater, mega-horse power, 8 cylinder sports cars to be wasteful. But that is me. A similar Testla car is almost as wasteful because it isn't made to be practical.

I like the Th!nk Ox because it is practical. My nature is fairly conservative so I try not to go crazy on material things. However, I have accumulated a LOT of stuff over the years.

The Ox is just perfect for me. Sporty, ultra modern, and yet practical. I bought my first car because I wanted a Saturn. But I bought the one I fell in love with. Given a choice people always buy the car they love, even if they love it less than the one they can't afford.

I never seriously considered another car, though I "loved" to have an EV. They were either not available, over priced, or just damn ugly. Though not available yet, I love the OX and definately see myself buying one.

My father wasted the time of a dealer and my brother for weeks before he ultimately dropped the whole deal and made everyone look and feel like a jackass. I knew it would happen. My brother was prompting him to buy the car. My father didn't fall in love with it. Trust me, you always buy the car you love.

[cravnsn]

I’m really surprised no one has come up with a viable electric car yet. The engineers have known for years that the supply of oil is finite, and the fact that cars pollute so much…

I’m hoping this becomes the trend, and more options for electric vehicles become available.

[tron3]

Originally Posted by cravnsn

I’m really surprised no one has come up with a viable electric car yet. The engineers have known for years that the supply of oil is finite, and the fact that cars pollute so much…

I’m hoping this becomes the trend, and more options for electric vehicles become available.

Love the signature, crav.

Electric cars are nothing new. Jay Leno owns an antique "Model T"-type car which runs off a 24v battery. Top speed is like 10 MPH and it can't go far, but it IS fully electric. The concept pops in and out of history every so often with few working models.

The problem has always been battery life. Wasn't until the latter 1990's before we saw Lithium ion cells. Even with the latest battery power technologies like Lithium Polymer, Sodium, and Silver-Nickle; battery technologies is decades behind the computer evolution.

In the early years of computers people would ask if it were possible to make a computer as smart as a person. The answer? "Yes, but such a computer would be bigger than the Empire State Building." Today, we can approximately match brain and chip capacity pound for pound. The truth is we haven't figured out all the A.I. involved. Research has been done in this field but not as expansive. Much like the battery, it is still in infant stage.

My solution to the electric car? Cheaper, smaller, more powerful batteries and more of them. Solar is a big market as well. Too bad research on photovoltaic hasn't received more funding.

[SellmeyourDVD]

Originally Posted by tron3

Trust me, you always buy the car you love.

You have no idea how strongly i agree with that statement

[m_tyson]

This is a good start: Eliica

Originally Posted by cravnsn

I’m really surprised no one has come up with a viable electric car yet. The engineers have known for years that the supply of oil is finite, and the fact that cars pollute so much…

I’m hoping this becomes the trend, and more options for electric vehicles become available.

[cravnsn]

Originally Posted by tron3

Love the signature, crav.

Thanks