With a range of 100 miles and a top speed of 60mph, the Think City is arguably the first electric vehicle to go beyond green tokenism.
The Norwegian-built two-seater, on sale at the end of the year, benefits from a leap in battery technology that replaces the century-old lead-acid cells, found in cars like the G-Wiz, with brand new lithium-ion units.
The car itself more than matches its battery upgrade. No mere quadricycle (like the G-Wiz), the Think’s steel chassis and aluminium frame promise a crash-performance to match that of regular superminis.
The well-equipped cabin is roomy, the boot (without the optional twin kids seats) is huge and the construction is solid. The welcome familiarity of the controls is partly down to the liberal use of Ford parts.
The lithum-ion tech hasn’t done anything to reduce the charge time – 10 hours from flat to full from a standard household plug – but a clever SMS communication system can text you as to the progress. Fleet managers can also quiz the car further, finding out the charge levels of cars on the road, and Think is also promising text-based diagnostics and software upgrades in the future.
Should the worst happen and the battery dies…
