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A small Norwegian car company, Think, is aiming to lead the future vehicle revolution with the development of the Think City. Every aspect of this little car is significantly different than the typical automobile. Perhaps Think can play an important role in the evolution of the automobile industry.

At first glance, the City seems to resemble the Smart fortwo. The similarities don’t run much deeper than that though. Whereas the Smart is powered by a traditional internal combustion engine, the City runs on 100% electric power. An overnight charge will give you around 124 miles of city driving, which is plenty considering the vehicle’s intended use (its top speed is only about 60 mph, pretty much limiting it to local driving). I think this really sets the Think apart from the Smart. Considering its size, the Smart is not a very efficient vehicle, and the Think is far more environmentally friendly (especially with Northern Europe’s wind power).

Drivers of the City will be able to connect with their cars in entirely different ways. Each car is Wi-Fi enabled, allowing owners to electronically stay informed on things such as the battery charge and the maintenance schedule.

Even the production and distribution of the vehicles is an innovative process. Think wants to eliminate the showroom and not build a vehicle until it’s ordered. Prospective buyers can check out a car through car-sharing networks before placing an order. As with any electric car, the battery is by far the most expensive ingredient. Think plans to lease the battery that comes with the car, and offer owners the chance to replace it when it starts to lose capacity.

Think doesn’t have near the budget of a GM or a Toyota, but they do have innovative ideas and creativity to boot. They’re also attracting investors who are drawn to their potential. Much like Tesla, they’ll run into the common issues of any small automaker, but with the current state of affairs (oil at $110 a barrel, among other things), I think they will be a hit. Follow the latest news on the City at Think’s site.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 16th, 2008 at 6:40 pm and is filed under Business, Cars. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.