New Th!nk website

Do you own or use a EV. Then this is a good place to discuss things.

UK: Smart EV or New City Th!nk?

Smart
0
No votes
Think
5
56%
Both
3
33%
Unsure
1
11%
Neither
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 9

clnbrtltt
Posts: 122
Joined: Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:18 pm
Location: Cornwall

Postby clnbrtltt » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:19 am

Would just like to add that we also are in full agreement and would never lease batteries as we are relatively low mileage users and would end up paying a very high price. Also we would prefer to do our own servicing as that way we would know exactly what has been done!

Perhaps we all ought to contact Th!nk and let them know our views?

Julia Pigworthy
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 5:09 pm
Location: Leeds, UK

Remember EV1

Postby Julia Pigworthy » Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:01 pm

Onew of the main reasons EV1's were successfully killed is because they kept the genie in the bottle and refused to ever sell em. Ford did the same with their Th!nk in the USA until Greenpeace et al made a big noise and they reluctantly shipped them to Norway where they were seen as less of a threat to American petrol car revenues.
I would personally consider leasing a Th!nk until I was sure I wanted to buy, but being denied the option to ever buy the whole car including the critical battery is a variation of the EV1 scenario. The only difference being that Th!nk will want to succeed, but their business plan may mean not wanting to let people unhook from them as the monthly energy dealer.
Low mileage means fewer recharges means batteries last long enough to warrant buying them. Since early EVs will replace the short range commuter/shopper car even a battery late in its life will probably have sufficient range for a daily 20 mile run seeing as it's optimum range is around the 110 mile mark. Even a 50% reduction in performance will keep the car going for all local trips, and for the short to mid-term most households will always have a petrol car for the long trips anyway. There is no good reason for blocking purchase of the car's battery other than to fleece the buyer on a monthly basis. Simply store up the 80 quid a month in an ISA and in 5 years you'll have 5 grand for a new battery anyway, which in 5 years will be mass produced, far cheaper and will perform even better.
Don't kill the Th!nk before it launches - sell the car with the option of buying the battery too! EVs must not become the new Dark Side!
Saw the film. You know which one. Now I'm strangely at odds with my own car..

Julia Pigworthy
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 5:09 pm
Location: Leeds, UK

Th!nk website updated

Postby Julia Pigworthy » Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:29 pm

Their site has been updated slightly, with some sound effects and a nice little interactive 360 degrees spin of the car. The specifications are also posted in detail on one of the pages including anticipated range in summer with air con, in winter with heater and lights on permanently, etc.

As for making Th!nk aware of this concern over the battery, I requested an update about the possible release date in the UK etc including a date for the marketing campaign so I can look out for it on telly and in the cinema and show non-surfers the potential for an electric car. When I get a response maybe I could point them to this discussion thread, though if our cynicism is warranted they will already know our concerns and will have made the decision long ago to try and fleece the tree-huggers and patriots keen to leave eesalarmic oil behind. Sadly I would rather subsidise a Norwegian Tesla battery cartel than an eesalarmic terrorism oil cartel, and they probably know that (plus we're already at or almost at the moment of the 'peak oil' scenario where demand exceeds possible supply and the world grinds to a halt, except for those already humming around in EVs :D). If we can adapt to a world where oil is no longer valued as a transportation fuel we can watch the smiles drop off johnny terrorists face when his pocket money dries up and he cant afford to send off to Acme for dynamite or fund brainwashing madrassas in western countries.

Changing the subect slightly, wouldnt something that makes a gentle sound with the wind be the solution to the silent car problem vis-a-vis pedestrians being unaware? Some little tube that makes a slight whistling or buzzing sound as the EV moves through the air should do it with zero power reqd.

Also Ive seen vans with those little spinny things on the roof, is that to assist the recharge of a battery? Maybe an array of spinners and solar film could help extend range when standing or parked.
Saw the film. You know which one. Now I'm strangely at odds with my own car..


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