Think City
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There are lots of very good plug-in electric cars for sale now, and quite a few of them--especially Nissan Leafs--are starting to show up on used-car lots as three-year leases expire. We recently suggested some used hybrid-electric vehicles to avoid on the used-car lot. Now we turn to electric cars. DON'T MISS: Ten Used Hybrid Cars To Consider Steering Clear Of Here are four plug-in vehicles we suggest you think long and hard before buying, no matter how attractive their prices. Three are battery-electric, and one is a range-extended electric luxury sedan. [EDITOR'S NOTE: We originally...
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Got A Think Electric Car And Need Warranty Work? Get It Now
If you're one of the small but loyal band of Think electric car owners in the U.S. and need some warranty work, we suggest you act soon. Reports on the Think-Tank Facebook page for the car suggest the company hasn't found a buyer, and could be gone for good by the end of this year. User and former...
Antony Ingram -
Last Few Think City Electric Cars Being Finished in Indiana
Perenially struggling electric automaker Think is once again seeing out another unsuccessful chapter in its life as the final few cars are completed at its Indiana plant. Originally formed in Norway in 1991, Think has been around longer than several other dedicated electric car companies--but it's...
Antony Ingram -
Five Forgotten Electric Cars: Do YOU Remember Them?
Amidst a throng of new launches over the past few years and a host of new models to come, some electric cars from days gone by have disappeared into obscurity. Some are surprisingly recent, others have been dead for years, but all are easily forgotten. Unless you own one, of course... Ford Ranger...
Antony Ingram -
Friday 13th? Five Green Automakers Who Have All The Bad Luck
Have you noticed today’s date? Unless you’re of Italian or Spanish descent (those nations consider Tuesday the 13th and Thursday the 17th bad luck), you might consider today to be an inherently unlucky. But before you cross yourself, reach for the four-leaf clover, or hide under the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2011 Think City Lives On, Still On Sale In Chicago Alongside BYD e6
In June last year, Norwegian electric automaker Think filed for bankruptcy for the third time in its 20-year life. Since then, Think’s misfortunes have caused battery maker Ener1 to also declare bankruptcy while its own future is now in the automotive equivalent of limbo. In one small part of...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
A year ago, we visited the Think electric-car plant in Elkhart, Indiana. At the time, several dozen workers were turning out a trickle of Think City electric vehicles assembled from kits shipped in from Finland--with big plans for ramping up production. That never happened. Instead, last June, Think declared bankruptcy for the fourth (and perhaps final) time. Ener1--the firm that owned its battery supplier, EnerDel--which had a stake in the electric-car maker, followed suit last month. Think has a new owner, Russian lumber baron Boris Zingarevich, who was also the majority shareholder in...
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Want To Buy A 2011 Think City? You Can (If You Live In New York)
A few weeks back we nominated the diminutive Think City electric car as one of the five electric cars you’ll still be able to buy in five years’ time -- despite the roller-coaster fortunes of the firm which makes it. Arguing that the Think City had certain Blattodean qualities when it...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Five Electric Cars You’ll Still Be Able To Buy In Five Years
The electric auto industry -- more than the conventional auto industry -- is an extremely volatile and competitive place. And unlike the mainstream auto industry, small-scale and boutique companies like Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive actually compete for the custom of electric car buyers...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Think Sunk: Now Its Primary Creditor, Battery Supplier Could Too
It’s hard enough when two companies part company on good terms, but when one side of the business relationship leaves the other with a total of $105 million in unpaid bills things are going to get a little tough. That’s exactly what has happened to publicly-traded New York-based battery...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Bankrupt Norwegian Electric-Car Maker Think Gets Russian Owner
Well, it's official: After its fourth bankruptcy in two decades, the Norwegian electric-car maker Think Global has a new owner. As rumored last week, he's lumber baron Boris G. Zingarevich, of St. Petersburg. Zingarevich also happens to be the largest shareholder in Ener1, the lithium-ion cell...
John Voelcker -
Think Went Thunk: What Does Electric-Car Bankruptcy Teach Us?
A little more than three weeks ago, Norwegian electric-car maker Think Global declared bankruptcy--for the fourth time, actually. In a pithy piece published a week later, Pike Research analyst Dave Hurst suggested a few lessons that can be learned from Think's latest collapse. The entire article...
John Voelcker -
The President may be currently abroad experiencing the horror of European ramps, but his government has been busy at home ordering the very cars its stimulus program has helped to fund. The General Services Administration responsible for the upkeep of the federal government’s 600,000 strong vehicle fleet has announced it will be buying 116 plug-in vehicles as part of a pilot project spread over five cities. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. government is buying American, with the lion’s share of the purchase order being awarded to General Motors in exchange for 101 Chevrolet Volts. Ten...
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New Management, Structure, Cash For Electric-Car Maker Think?
Back in January, we toured the Think electric-car assembly facility in Elkhart, Indiana, "the RV capital of the world." We got some striking photos of hundreds of the City electric two-seater cars that Think was gearing up to sell, assembled in the U.S. out of kits shipped from the manufacturing...
John Voelcker -
Chevy Volt Outsells Nissan Leaf Again: March Electric Car Sales
The 2011 Chevy Volt continues to outsell the 2011 Nissan Leaf, but during March, the Japanese battery electric car at last started to move noticeable numbers of cars--almost five times as many as it sold in February. The two major-manufacturer plug-ins currently on the market sold a total of 906...
John Voelcker -
Can Think Really Sell Enough $41,000 City Electric Cars In U.S.?
Electric cars are much on the minds of green buyers these days, despite limited supplies of the 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevrolet Volt. But there's also a second tier of suppliers, beyond the major carmakers, that also offers or plans to offer buyers their own plug-in electric vehicles. One such...
John Voelcker -
Electric Car Factory: Think Sets Up Shop In Indiana, RV-Land
Quick, name the electric cars currently on sale. Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, and ... ummmm ... oh, yeah, Smart Electric Drive. Now name the ones built in the States. Hmmmm. Volt, right? Think about it Yes, but you've missed out on one--in both categories. It's the Think City, which is now being...
John Voelcker -
Photo Gallery: Think City Assembly Plant Tour, Elkhart, Indiana
During the Detroit Auto Show in January, we visited the Think electric-car assembly plant in Elkhart, Indiana. It's not necessarily a place you'd expect to find electric cars being put together, but the rows of electric two-seat hatchbacks in blue, red, and black turned out to be surprisingly...
John Voelcker -
The THINK City hasn’t been having a good go of it lately during its short run in the North American market. As of the end of February, the THINK City has been recalled three times with the latest recall said to affect 23 City models. According to Detroit News, the automaker reported that it received complaints that the THINK City wouldn’t engage the “Park” gear and therefore was prone to rolling. The recall is of a voluntary nature, but creates a tenuous relationship with consumers, especially since the car has only been in market for U.S. customers since December...
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2011 Think City Two-Seat Electric Car Faces Third Recall
Dozens, even hundreds, of different models get recalled each year by their makers to address defects or potential problems. Most pass unnoticed, except to the owners who get letters in the mail asking them to bring their vehicle back to the dealer. But three recalls in as many months isn't a...
John Voelcker -
Even Electric Cars Get Recalled: 2011 Think City Safety Notices
Recall notices are now a standard part of the automotive landscape. Last year's recall of almost 10 million Toyota and Lexus models only highlighted the fact that most vehicles get called back to dealers for minor upgrades or inspections to fix or avert potential defects. Despite their much smaller...
John Voelcker -
Why Didn't We THINK Of It Before? EV Spawns Delivery Van
Car-derived vans are big business in Europe. Pick a subcompact at random and chances are there will be a light delivery van variant. Usually fitted with economical diesel engines, the small size and high economy suits small businesses down to the ground. Electric delivery vehicles have been...
Antony Ingram -
The Missing Electric Car Segment: Minicars At $15,000 Or So?
For the past few years, we’ve witnessed the success of low-volume, high-priced, highway-capable electric vehicles in the Tesla Roadster. We’ve also just recently seen the advent of medium-volume, medium -priced highway-capable electric cars like the 2011 Chevy Volt and 2011 Nissan LEAF...
Jason Hendler -
First American-made THINK Electric Car Delivered In Indiana
It has been a minute since we have reported on the diminutive THINK City minicar. Last time we checked in on the THINK it was competing in the START Eco Car Trials on the other side of the pond. That said, THINK is in the news this week with the first 15 American-made THINK City electric vehicles...
Jonathan McGrew