We can’t think of many times when an automaker suddenly doubles the number of seats in a car without making the car bigger. But that’s just what the Norwegian car maker Think has done with its diminutive city car. 

Originally designed as a 2 seat city car, the all-electric A segment car went into production last week at Think’s new factory in Elkhart, Indiana.  

But while the Think City may now be in production for the U.S. market it won’t be getting the 4 seat makeover - at least for now. 

2011 Think City 2+2

2011 Think City 2+2

A little over 10 feet in length, the Think City is barely longer than the 2011 Smart ForTwo - but it seems the 18 inches makes all the difference. 

Until now, the extra space has been used to give the Think City an unusually large cargo area for such a small vehicle, extending from the back of the rear seats to the tailgate. 

In the two-seat configuration, the 2011 Think City has a top speed of 68 mph and a range of up to 100 miles per charge. Think claims that even with 2 extra seats in it the 2+2 Think City’s performance remains unchanged. 

Also included in the 4 seat version of the 2011 Think City is a new drivetrain system, which Think says will improve reliability, range and performance. The battery pack is the same Ener1 pack found in the U.S. made vehicles. 

Think is so convinced of the car’s abilities that it is offering a five year, 62,000 mile warranty on both car and drivetrain. This warranty is identical to the one offered by Nissan on the European specification 2011 LEAF.

2011 Think City 2+2

2011 Think City 2+2

Think plans to offer the 2+2 version of the City in Europe initially but has not indicated if it will offer the version in the U.S. market. We expect it to bring 4 seats to the U.S. as a matter of course as it will certainly help improve the potential market share for Think. 

If a 2011 Nissan LEAF or 2011 Chevrolet Volt isn’t your thing, perhaps the Think’s cute European styling might just be what you’re looking for - but with four seats it won’t carry any cargo larger than a laptop bag.

It might appear we’re not fans of the Think City.  That’s not true. We love the idea of the Think and think it could have a great future for inner city commuters and small families. However, unless the price drops we can’t see anyone buying it over more capable, larger, mainstream electric cars available for the same price

[Think]