Prime Minister examines new TH!NK city electric vehicle

Confirming its commitment to encourage the development of eco-friendly personal transport in the UK, the Government invited several futuristic electric cars to Downing Street today (Monday 27 October).

The line-up of cars, which represented various different solutions to the challenge of creating all-electric vehicles for everyday use in the future, included the new TH!NK city – a 100% electric vehicle fully homologated for the European market.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Secretary of State for Transport Geoff Hoon and Business Minister Ian Pearson each examined the THINK city, a vehicle that is already available in Norway and which will go on sale in the UK sometime next year.

The car’s appearance in Downing Street coincided with a meeting in London arranged by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform ( BERR ) and the Department for Transport, where plans to accelerate the mass production and usage of electric vehicles were discussed.

Manufactured by Norwegian electric vehicle (EV) pioneers Think, a company with 17 years experience in EVs, the new TH!NK city is a true, modern urban car, with zero emissions, low cost of ownership and silent running, with no road tax and no congestion charge.

The body of the TH!NK city is made of recyclable ABS plastic, which is designed to resist dents and scratches accumulated in city driving. It has a top speed of 65 miles per hour, accelerates from zero to 30 mph in just 6.5 seconds and to 50 mph in 16 seconds. The car can travel more than 112 miles (180 km) in city driving on a fully charged battery and requires just an overnight top-up of electricity from a domestic electricity socket to restore its charge.

TH!NK city is designed to meet strict safety requirements. Equipped with ABS brakes, airbags and three-point safety belts with pretensioners, it meets all European and US requirements.