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Can Eco-friendly Th!nk Cars Start an Electronic Revolution?
ecoworldly.com — Th!nk's new 5-seater EV model gets 200 kilometers (124 miles) in city driving on a fully charged battery, with a top speed of 100km/h (60 mph). Oh yeah, and it's 100% recyclable. "It is fun, clean and simple."
gavinhudson- 743 diggs
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- MajorJJH, on 07/09/2008, -17/+5Oh goody... another environmentally friendly car that is the size of my bike...
- pixeldust, on 07/10/2008, -1/+12You have a fiver seater bike?
- mk3k, on 07/10/2008, -1/+6Exactly how fat are you that you need that big of a car?
- Air420, on 07/10/2008, -3/+2I agree, why can't they ever make an electric car with balls. I bet you get a years supply of tampons with a purchase.
- Blandyman, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1This car looks like the electric version of a Scion xA. Honestly, I think it's the ONLY nice electric car on the market.
And if you think the Tesla is nice, you need to shut up, because a $100,000 car is nice to no one except the mega-rich.
- Blandyman, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1This car looks like the electric version of a Scion xA. Honestly, I think it's the ONLY nice electric car on the market.
- harryc3, on 08/01/2008, -4/+12What do you do to recycle it? Throw it into a recycle bin?
- pwnerofnoobs, on 07/10/2008, -1/+7Yes, but remembert stomp on it first. You need to squish it down as much as possible.
- Pic0, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Once the car goes to the dump, it can be recycled. Most of the materials in current cars cannot be reused
I think BMW has a plan for only 2-3 plastics used in their cars so it is easier to recycle the materials
- Divals, on 07/09/2008, -2/+16Now this is truly drool-worthy. I wonder how much it'll cost...
- sandiegodude, on 07/10/2008, -0/+5Saw another article that said less than $25,000 here on Digg a few weeks ago.
- oldgal, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4The website says the Think City is expected to go for 20,000 Euro which is about $32,000 U.S. Too expensive.
- DestroyFascism, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4$12,000 is a price range that would have them running out the door. Crazy $32,000 us is too high. The batteries last 10 years at most too, WTF?
- zacharytelschow, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1It'll cost just enough that almost no one will buy it, but be just cheap enough for Al Gore to tell you you should. The $32,000 listed above seems about right.
- Divals, on 07/11/2008, -0/+1Actually I meant the Ox. Though I'd gladly take out a loan for either of 'em.
- sungoddess808, on 07/10/2008, -2/+4Interesting.
- Newsdude, on 07/10/2008, -5/+13Things are getting better, and 60MPH is great for just around town driving, but sometimes we need to jump on the FWY for short bursts. Get this up to 80-85 MPH and i'm sold
- Evildudetx, on 07/10/2008, -0/+6Why would you need to go 80-85 mph? The max speed limit in most states is 70.
- Sairynn, on 07/10/2008, -2/+9Most people drive 5-10 over on the highway, and it's unsafe not to be able to keep up and/or pass if you need.
- DephexTwin, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Besides what Sairynn said... what about the 13 states whose speed limit is greater than 70?
Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Wyoming - Artimusbill, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1I drive 18 miles each way to work, mostly highway miles. I can do 55 just fine. Just use the right hand lane (in the US), and you will be fine. It isn't unsafe at all.
- carpespasm, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2I think the use of being able to do 80 would be that increasing the power of the drive train to have the ability to make it to 80 would ensure it has enough pep to feel responsive getting around at legal speeds.
- Evildudetx, on 07/10/2008, -0/+6Why would you need to go 80-85 mph? The max speed limit in most states is 70.
- TheTaoOfBill, on 07/10/2008, -10/+5This is yet another eco friendly car that is in no way a practical car for heavy travel and heavy loads. We can and should do better than this.
- dannylewis, on 07/10/2008, -0/+11Yeah, but for 95% of the time it will meet your needs. I guess that's why one should keep a gasoline car/truck around for when they need it. Or better yet, get one of these: http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/
- pixeldust, on 07/10/2008, -2/+12so? 99% of people don't do heavy travel or carry heavy loads.
- Redge, on 07/10/2008, -0/+10Well it's a start and it's better than nothing.
- senatorpjt, on 07/10/2008, -0/+10Rent a van the 1% of the time you need it. Problem solved.
- welshie, on 07/10/2008, -0/+6So, for the 5% of the time (or is it more like 0.05% of the time - be serious here, when you need to carry heavy loads), go and hire a truck.
Last time I needed to haul more than a few hundred kilos was when I moved house, and that was 5 years ago. I hired a van for the day. - SammyJr, on 07/10/2008, -0/+6I recently moved. Instead of buying a semi w/trailer for the one time in 3 years that I needed it, I simply hired one for the time I needed it! Incredible.
- dood, on 07/10/2008, -2/+1I believe you're right, that we can do better than this. The most vocal among those that say that we can't do much better than we do now are the big American car companies. Time and again they trash on American ingenuity and spirit, describing this and that impossible or impractical. There's something wrong with that.
- caponumen, on 07/10/2008, -12/+3Useless off the golf course......
- AussieCynic, on 07/10/2008, -0/+10its a start... thats what we need
- starexplorer, on 07/10/2008, -1/+3dont' forget about stackable cars... can you imagine?
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/stackable-car.htm - h3smith, on 07/10/2008, -6/+3Yeah, but how are you going to power them? Stressed power grids? Maryland could have rolling blackouts this year, are 10's of thousands of cars plugged into the grid going to help that problem?
- dannylewis, on 07/10/2008, -1/+5Charge at night?
- vypergts, on 07/10/2008, -3/+2That doesn't matter, the coal is still burning on the other end and NIMBYs will continue to oppose any efforts to add new transmission lines to serve the urban areas where these things get plugged in.
- dannylewis, on 07/24/2008, -0/+1Okay, it's not like all of a sudden there are 300 million of these cars getting plugged into the grid... the infrastructure will grow as demand increases.
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3There's plenty of off-peak power available right now, even in states where the grid is stressed at peak times. Utilities have lower rates if you're willing to charge at night.
- dannylewis, on 07/10/2008, -1/+5Charge at night?
- fashionsomebody, on 07/10/2008, -0/+8I'm all for electric car they are the future and the world is not going there fast enough.
- mike17032, on 07/10/2008, -4/+6This car sure isnt fast enough.
- sandiegodude, on 07/10/2008, -2/+13Even though these Think Oxes have been Dugg before, I'm going to keep Digging these articles. I'm hoping these take off like a rocket, as these can be the new model for electric cars in the future. This article had some new info too. If the batteries start to go bad, return to the manufacturer for a replacement. Of course it didn't say free, but hey, at least they have a recycle plan for the batteries.
- curtisag, on 07/10/2008, -2/+8Why can't they just make it a plug in hybrid with a reserve gas tank for when the battery goes dead? This would make this car far more viable. I drive more than 124 miles several times a week. And anybody that goes to visit relatives or on a short distance vacation would not be able to use this car at all.
- pwnerofnoobs, on 07/10/2008, -0/+6Chevy Volt
- Redge, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2The Chevy Volt will have a system like this.
- senatorpjt, on 07/10/2008, -0/+6You have the problem of added weight of an internal combustion engine, gasoline, etc reducing that 124 mile battery-only range. The cars i've seen (volt, etc) do include an ICE generator that extends the range significantly, although the further you go the returns diminish. The range is still limited because the generator cannot power the car by itself, otherwise obviously, it would have to be a full-size engine (even slightly larger since powering an electric motor with a generator is less efficient than direct-drive ICE)
- trackerbishop, on 07/10/2008, -7/+6No.
- biogears, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4Anyone care how much it will cost to charge it? What is the price per mile?
- jakeou812, on 07/10/2008, -0/+7less than gas..
- Redge, on 07/10/2008, -0/+5To quote TH!NK's website :
The average cost to charge the TH!NK city (about 30kWh of electricity) is approximately $1.50 (averaging current US power company rates). This is based on charging the vehicle completely.
http://www.think.no/think/content/view/full/616 - apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4Most electric cars get from 4 to 7 miles per kilowatt-hour. At 10 cents per KWH, you'll pay about 2 cents/mile. If you get an off-peak rate from your utility (overnight charging, special metering), you could pay 1 cent/mile or less.
Gasoline is more like 15-30 cents/mile.
- MortalynFlux, on 07/10/2008, -3/+11These companies need to start going beyond the Greenpeace supporting, paper recycling, just-graduated-from-Berkley IT guy niche market. The whole marketing strategy and the look of the car is highly annoying. Today our technologies involving carbon fiber, lithium-ion batteries, 4/8 cylinder switching, solar power, and hybrid systems is advanced enough that we can make a vehicle that fits the style demands and needs of the average American family.
- thawkth, on 07/10/2008, -1/+0Ummm. Maybe there is a reason?
Cost?
Availability?
I wouldn't add risk to the list any longer, build it and they will come and all that- MortalynFlux, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Cost is a factor right now, but the more you manufacture something, the less it costs to manufacture it. It is a chicken-egg problem that we need to get over, but we can do it.
- Redge, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4If we have the technology, what are we waiting for? I think it's not that easy to make a electric car that has the same performance and efficiency than a gaz car while keeping the price low. The Chevy Volt is probably gonna sell at 40 000$ or even more...
- senatorpjt, on 07/10/2008, -1/+2A "124 mile range" is really a "62 mile range" because obviously, you need to get back. This is probably less than two standard deviations away from the average work commute. Every bit of weight you add to the car lowers the range, which makes the car more unappealing.
You're always going to have the people that say "Nobody will want an electric car because they can't drive on long trips", but then you have people that are aware of places like Hertz and Avis that will rent you a gas-powered car for that one week of the year you need one. For those people, as long as the car's range is long enough to get them to work and back, they'll save loads of money if they get it and just rent the gas-car when they need it.- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Charge your car at work. I drive a (very old) electric car with a 40-mile range. When I charge at work, I have enough juice to run a few errands on the way home. Ask your employer.
- senatorpjt, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Sure, all I'll need is a 2000 foot long extension cable to reach my car in the parking lot.
- thawkth, on 07/10/2008, -1/+0Ummm. Maybe there is a reason?
- ripple123, on 07/10/2008, -6/+2this thing looks pretty dorky. Heres a electric car that most definitely does 60mph, and sure as hell dosent look the least bit dorky: http://www.teslamotors.com/
- mike17032, on 07/10/2008, -3/+4If you are a big enough moron to spend 100k to save on gas, go nuts.
I would rather have a new Viper.- buba1243, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1I would love to have the tesla and if I had the money to spend would spend it. You are not spending the money to save gas you are spending the money to have one of the coolest cars. It out accelerates almost every other car out there. Acceleration is the best thing about fast cars. It's why I bought my motorcycle cause for 10K I have something that will take every car I come up against.
- sandiegodude, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3... and also costs 100 grand. Tesla has been talking about introducing a sub 30k electric car, but we'll see if its less "dorky looking."
- asnider, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2These Th!nk cares don't look dorky. They look like a typical compact car (do they really look that different from a Honda Fit or a Pontiac Vibe? I don't think so). Comparing the Telsa to the cars Th!nk makes is like comparing a Dodge Viper to, well, a Honda Fit or a Pontiac Vibe.
- mike17032, on 07/10/2008, -3/+4If you are a big enough moron to spend 100k to save on gas, go nuts.
- JackDarkholer, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3dugg
- mike17032, on 07/10/2008, -5/+6Top speed of 60? Thats god awful.
- punx, on 07/10/2008, -4/+3Yeah, and while they're hauling ass at 60 (woo hoo) in their little electric car, expect a truck, or hell, even a Buick to ram right up their rear. Now I know I don't drive the most eco friendly vehicle, but I guarantee if I'm in a bad accident, I will walk away from it, and the other person probably won't. Try that in one of those dinky ass little cars.
- tushyd, on 07/10/2008, -2/+4As said before, most people don't need to go above that speed and hardly ever need to haul anything. And as for your accident comment, just because a car is big doesn't mean that it's inherently safe. Same thing with small vehicles, a well-designed small vehicle can be VERY safe. Just look up "smart car crash test" on Youtube.
- asnider, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3It's not that bad, at least not for where I live. Top speed on most highways in and around the city here is 100km/h (60mph). For trips between cities, yeah, you need to be able to do AT LEAST 110km/h, but this car is a commuter car designed mostly to be used inside of a city.
Having said that, I'd like to be able to get at least 10km over the speed limit just so I'd have the ability to pass cars and stuff if I needed to. - carpespasm, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4With the smart car crash test they said at the end of the video that even though the structure of the car was intact, the passengers wouldn't be. Not saying small cars can't be safe, just that the video you suggested wasn't a great example.
- punx, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3tushyd, I agree, there are a lot of small cars that can be safe (BTW, carpespasm was right, car was ok, passengers wouldn't be in that video) but when a small car comes up against a much heavier vehicle, the people in the smaller car aren't going to do too well. To me, that's more important than gas mileage or anything else. My Range Rover is, on the safe side, 5000 pounds. Compare that to these small, eco friendly cars in a crash, and I'm walking away, not them. You can digg these comments down all you like, but it's the truth, whether you like to hear it or not. If everyone I love is dead in a car accident, why the hell should I give a crap about saving the environment anyway?
- Artimusbill, on 07/10/2008, -0/+560mph is fine, just takes a little patience. For me, the initial cost of the vehicle is the major hurdle. 30k plus so I can save $100.00 a month in gas? Thats worse than VW's new TDIs, as far as saving money on gas. I think we need a $10k city car, and maybe a $13-15k "normal" economy car for these to catch on.
- punx, on 07/10/2008, -4/+3Yeah, and while they're hauling ass at 60 (woo hoo) in their little electric car, expect a truck, or hell, even a Buick to ram right up their rear. Now I know I don't drive the most eco friendly vehicle, but I guarantee if I'm in a bad accident, I will walk away from it, and the other person probably won't. Try that in one of those dinky ass little cars.
- cory849, on 07/10/2008, -5/+6I can't believe people keep cheering this cars like saviors. People are not, in any large number, going to buy cars that can't leave the city and take hours to recharge. Wake me up when there's an electric car that can do what a gasoline car can do.
- jarek91, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4Wake up and take a look at the Chevy Volt. It's probably the best drivetrain design yet. Decent power with nigh unlimited range thanks to the ICE that recharges the batteries while you're on extended trips.
- cory849, on 07/11/2008, -0/+0The Chevy volt is exactly what I've been waiting for but they can't figure out how to make the battery work, so its basically a marketing campaign for a vehicle that hasn't been invented yet. I'm very much hoping they pull it off but until they do it doesn't exist.
- tushyd, on 07/10/2008, -0/+5Why can't you understand that a lot of people don't leave the city regularly?
- cory849, on 07/11/2008, -0/+0Most people don't leave the city regularly. They leave it occassionally to visit their relatives or go camping or whatever else comes up. And when they do they don't want to need a second car or rental to do it with.
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3You do not speak for 'all people'.
Here's the closest thing to an electric car that does everything a gas car can do:
http://phoenixmotorcars.com
Its battery pack can charge in 10 minutes, and has a 20-year lifespan.- cory849, on 07/11/2008, -0/+0Yes. Note that the 10 minute charges require a special industrial machine that they describe as very expensive. So this one could be good if the infrastructure was put in place to do "charges" at gas stations. 10 minutes is still a bit of a long time compared with filling your gas tank but its workable.
- jarek91, on 07/10/2008, -0/+4Wake up and take a look at the Chevy Volt. It's probably the best drivetrain design yet. Decent power with nigh unlimited range thanks to the ICE that recharges the batteries while you're on extended trips.
- norman619, on 07/10/2008, -4/+8How are they "eco-friendly" when the ***** of batteries these cars will generate if/when they are adopted en mass are HIGHLY toxic and pose an ecological threat all their own? Electric cars are not the magical clean tech people seem to wish it is and most environmentalists seem to be ignoring this. I guess they are saving it for their next bitch fest later on down the line.
- darkened, on 07/10/2008, -6/+4Thank you I've pointed this out over and over to people that act like the Prius ascended from on high.
- dood, on 07/10/2008, -1/+4The Prius owners probably know what Redge and pretty much everyone knows: batteries can be recycled. In fact, the last time I bought a car battery I had to pay an extra fee which was returned when I brought my old one back in. So (at least in my case) it was cheaper to recycle than to just huck it over a bridge (or whatever the Internet-bully-argument is these days).
- norman619, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Dood:
you just showed us how little you understand. The battery in your basic car is nothing like the batteries that power these electric cars.
- Redge, on 07/10/2008, -1/+7The battery will be recycled by the way.
- jhnewt, on 07/10/2008, -2/+3While the Prius's Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries are toxic, the car mentioned in the article uses Lithium-ion batteries that are not toxic.
- fooljoe, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are in no way toxic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_metal_hydride
- fooljoe, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are in no way toxic
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Li-Ion batteries are not environmentally harmful. Furthermore NIMH batteries are not either (people confuse these with NiCd batteries, which do have toxic components.)
Lead-acid batteries are not nice, but at least they are almost all recycled - and this chemistry is being phased out in favor of better battery types.
The enemy, people, is not batteries - it is petroleum which has REAL, not imagined, environmental issues.
A source:
Battery recycling from http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-20.htm
" In the USA, 98% of all lead-acid batteries are recycled. "
" Although nickel-metal-hydride is considered environmentally friendly, this chemistry is also being recycled. "
" Lithium-ion batteries used for cell phones and laptops do not contain metallic lithium and the disposal problem does not exist."
- darkened, on 07/10/2008, -6/+4Thank you I've pointed this out over and over to people that act like the Prius ascended from on high.
- jayscot, on 07/10/2008, -2/+1How often do you replace the batteries and how expensive are they? This may be the elephant in the room.
- Smogtdi, on 07/10/2008, -1/+2most first generation Honda insight and Toyota Prius are over 200 000 miles and are still using the original battery pack
considering your crappy Chevy Cobalt will be junked at 160 000 miles, let's say the batteries in an electric car will outlive the whole car - buba1243, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Most are around every 100,000 miles.
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2This varies by battery type. I drive an old EV with lead-acid batteries. My pack is just good for 20,000 miles, but only costs $800 to replace (this comes to 4 cents/mile.)
My electricity cost is 1 to 2 cents mile, so my total cost is 5-6 cents/mile (compared to 15-30 cents/mile for gasoline.)
Other battery types, such as NIMH or Li-Ion are much more expensive, but also longer-lived. The costs per mile should be pretty similar.
- Smogtdi, on 07/10/2008, -1/+2most first generation Honda insight and Toyota Prius are over 200 000 miles and are still using the original battery pack
- birch97, on 07/10/2008, -5/+5How exactly do the eco-green figure they are going to power this revolution of electric cars? They're the same ones who are trying to stop our current electrical system as it is. Wind? There isn't enough. Solar? Can't produce enough. Nuclear? They would never allow us to do that...
People never look at the larger picture.- bluezombie, on 07/10/2008, -1/+6Hook up 101 tiny generators to the keys of computer keyboards like they do to the brakes of the Prius. Then start posting "[politician] sucks" links on digg. Infinite renewable energy.
- Smogtdi, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3So far I think the Nuclear power plant and the Coal burning power generators are dumping electricity in huge resistors at night because they can't be stopped easily.
So charging a car at night will only reduce the junked power - apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2There's plenty of off-peak electricity (and surplus electricity, from coal plants that can't be shut down) available at night.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/06121 ...
Mileage From Megawatts: Study Finds Enough Electric Capacity To 'Fill Up' Plug-in Vehicles
"Science Daily — If all the cars and light trucks in the nation switched from oil to electrons, idle capacity in the existing electric power system could generate most of the electricity consumed by plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. A new study for the Department of Energy finds that "off-peak" electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel 84 percent of the country's 220 million vehicles if they were plug-in hybrid electrics."
- BufordT, on 07/10/2008, -2/+4The story says they are "fun, clean and simple" Evidently they are fun, clean, simple and expensive. I don't care how cheap it will be to operate, what you get for your money is a very small, unpractical, and expensive car. This quote was taken from the link at the bottom:
"UK buyers can expect to pay £14,000 (just under $28,000US) for a Th!nk City - plus £100 per month for a battery rental."
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/03/25/officially ...- zacharytelschow, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Wait wait wait wait.... Battery rental? Why would I want to rent the battery? If you're going to use something for its entire useful life, why would you rent it?
- vanebeard, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3Wonder how it did in crash tests.
- FasterGun, on 07/10/2008, -5/+1WHY ISNT IT PERFECT IF IT ISNT PERFECT IN EVERY WAY ITS A COMPLETE FAILURE
GOD I WISH YOU DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE HIPPIE YUPPIE GREEDY IDEALISTS WOULD GET A GRIP ON REALITY- Artimusbill, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Hey! I might be included in one of those groups...and could possibly be offended! We need a moderator, or something...
- Smogtdi, on 07/10/2008, -1/+5OMG
But all the big car manufacturers told us the electric cars were not possible ?
it's the batteries; it's just not ready
/sarcasm - deenoop, on 07/10/2008, -2/+4how do you re-charge it if you live in the city and park on the streets?
someone clue me in on what i've missed here.- buba1243, on 07/10/2008, -0/+5Long extension cords
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Charge it up at work.
- Evildudetx, on 07/10/2008, -3/+4Odds are it will be over-priced and for the difference between this and a good old gas powered car, I can drive for YEARS and never spend more than the difference.
The only real way to get people to switch is to make these things as cheap as their gas powered counterparts. Until that happens, you'll have very select people buying and not the general public. - Otto, on 07/10/2008, -2/+6Why do companies keep making cars that only work in the city? I mean, the city is the last place I would actually need a car, most of the time. I can get onto public transit when in the city, it's when I'm actually outside the city that I need to drive somewhere.
This car is basically useless for anybody who already lives in the city. - Sairynn, on 07/10/2008, -1/+1I quite like the design. Just needs more power.
- zmigliozzi, on 07/10/2008, -3/+1So is the power to charge the battery come from a regular power plant or from a "new eco-friendly" power plant?
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1EVs are more efficient than gas cars - and the fuel delivery is more efficient, as well.
Compare charging your car by wire (about 95% efficient) to trucking gasoline to thousands of service stations.
Greater efficiency = more miles on less fuel = less pollution per mile - no matter what gets burned on the other end.
The grid gets cleaner every year, too. Petroleum just stays dirty.
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1EVs are more efficient than gas cars - and the fuel delivery is more efficient, as well.
- Mockylock, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1Until lithium and energy prices raise.
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Battery tech has been getting cheaper year-by-year, not more expensive.
Electricity going up? An EV-sized solar panel for your garage can be had for a thousand or two. Solar prices have been dropping, too.
You know what hasn't been getting cheaper? Gasoline.- Mockylock, on 07/12/2008, -0/+1I'm not dogging this idea, I'm just implying that until renewable energy is harnessed, we're going to have a tough time with electricity pricing. Biofuels would be a bit of a better alternative than battery cell, due to the lack of lithium in the near future.
They're already questioning it's availability.
- Mockylock, on 07/12/2008, -0/+1I'm not dogging this idea, I'm just implying that until renewable energy is harnessed, we're going to have a tough time with electricity pricing. Biofuels would be a bit of a better alternative than battery cell, due to the lack of lithium in the near future.
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Battery tech has been getting cheaper year-by-year, not more expensive.
- Tantrum, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3I can't wait for the City and the Ox to come out. I've been eyeing the City for a year now. I just hope when it comes out here in the USA that they don't do that stupid battery leasing garbage. Either lease the car or sell the car, i'm not at all in favor of this hybrid you buy the car but lease the batteries idea at all. Frankly i don't spend 200/month in gas because i drive very little as it is so having a 200/month bill attached to the car along with maybe a loan payment will make it way more expensive than just buying gas for my current vehicle. So get with it Think, sell the cars outright !
- ChrisWickenscom, on 07/10/2008, -2/+2That's all fine and dandy, but how much does it cost to charge one of these cars?
I love how NOBODY ever has that in their blurb about these "amazing" vehicles.- buba1243, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2About $1.5, if you bother to read about electrics you will see that they get around 140-200 MPG equivalents.
- apeweek, on 07/10/2008, -0/+2Electricity: 1 to 2 cents/mile.
Gasoline: 15-30 cents/mile.
- brettg102, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3Ford really F'd up cutting Think off....
- BoneStamp, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3How is it possible that every electric car concept is revolutionizing the car industry?
- zacharytelschow, on 07/10/2008, -0/+3...and yet I've still never seen one of these cars (but will in 2-3, according to every single article).
- racsixteen16, on 07/10/2008, -1/+0I agree with some of the stuff some of you guys mentioned. We never think about the source of electricity, how much pollution has the process of electricity generation already caused, even before it reaches the car?
Ok, I'm gonna ask a question. I'm sure most of you would have heard about water4gas and nobody believes it. Just check out the explanation given on this website below and see if you will still share the same view, it referres to a piece of research done at MIT. They say, hydrogen gotten by electrolysis of water cannot be giving the energy, but instead hydrogen combusts easily and quickly and this improves the combustion environment inside the engine so that gasoline burn rate is improved. I don't know how good I was in explaining that, but this website does a pretty good job, check out http://water4gasscam.bestdealsreviews.com/hydrogen ... and please post your comments here. Cheers!- bubba9999, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1You should buy one and test it for the rest of us. :)
- beauley, on 07/10/2008, -0/+1There have been many attempts to design an electric powered vehicle for as long as the the internal combustion engine has been around. Unfortunately, battery power was never a formidable contender to the present internal combustion engine, but it looks as though the future looks more pronising.
http://www.gomestic.com/Consumer-Information/The-E ...
The Electric Vehicle, is It the Answer?
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