Think EV causes some EV economic thinking

Tiny electric car has big price

Think is starting to sell the The City electric car in Norway. With a 112 miles per charge and a top speed of 62.5 miles per hour, the Think doesn't pack a ton of WOW power. Still, it's an environment-saving, oil-crushing electric vehicle.

Nonetheless, the economics of Think's City cause some serious consumer thinking. The base price of the The City equates to $28,690. That's fair for a small, under-performing electric car, right?

Hold on. That doesn't include the battery. The battery is leased for another $183 per month. After 5 years that would add an extra $11,000 to the cost of the vehicle, totalling almost $40,000 - and that doesn't include charging costs.

Makes me think that either GM is going to take a big hit on the Volt, or that the close to $40,000 price tag must not include the battery lease. Thank god for government tax incentives. We're gonna need a lot of them if gas prices keep falling.

Th!nk Big - Now that's smart.

Now that's a mobile computer

Electric vehicles don't make sense in America. They are typically too small, too expensive and their range is too limited. In reality, electric vehicles don't meet the plethora of needs most Americans demand from their vehicles. Inevitably, electric vehicles require people to think differently, and Americans aren't always keen to change.

Nonetheless, Th!nk could be a force for such change. It's not that a Th!nk vehicle is so awesome, but it serves a purpose - commuting in the city, a task many do by themselves and within the range an electric vehicle can achieve, but that isn't really where Th!nk is thinking different.

When Dell started selling computers online, computer costs dropped. No stores, no rent and an efficient delivery system equaled cheaper computers, and Th!nk believes cars could be sold the same way - reducing the costs of EV technology.

So, it's ugly? Yup, but its not just an electric vehicle, it's an electronic gadet - an Ipod, a computer, and an IM and texting machine. In fact the Th!nk model is almost MySpace on wheels, and such an idea could be a big hit with teens and twenty-somethings, which could create future generations of Th!nkers.

Th!nk electric vehicles aren't going to kill the gasoline vehicle. Yet, they could help transform American transportation. For urbanites, an all electric vehicle and a plug-in hybrid vehicle could meet almost every family's needs, while helping to completely change America's energy paradigm. Now that's Th!nking!

Besides, isn't it time for America to start thinking big about energy and transportation?