GE invests in electric vehicle-maker Think, battery-maker A123Systems

It looks like electric vehicle-maker Think and battery manufacturer A123Systems have each gotten a pretty big shot in the arm courtesy of GE, which has announced that it's investing in both companies with the goal of making "electric transportation practical and affordable." For Think's part, it'll be receiving some $4 million from GE, which'll apparently be used at least in part to get its TH!NK Ox electric five-seater (pictured above) out the door (t's already in production in Norway). A123Systems, on the other hand, has signed a commercial supply agreement with Think to supply it with Nanophosphate lithium-ion batteries, and it's already received a hefty $20 million from GE (which it's now doing some joint research with). That's all apparently only part of GE's grander plans, which it describes as nothing short of "efforts to enable global electrification of transportation." Be sure to hit up the appropriate link below for a video of some of what Think has in store.

Read- GE Press Release
Read - DN.no, Think video

[Via Autoblog Green, thanks Gunnar]

[Tinu @ Mar 6th 2008 6:11PM]

That car looks hot!

[Aguiluz @ Mar 6th 2008 6:47PM]

Agreed! It looks like what what happens when you stretch a Smart Car ForTwo. (Spelling?)

[Plastic Monkey @ Mar 7th 2008 3:35PM]

It's like the rebellious offspring of the Forfour and the roadster, hanging with the wrong brand 'cause their folks can't tell 'em what to do, man.

[skulldriveshaft @ Mar 6th 2008 6:15PM]

I really hope we get to see TH!NK vehicles on North American roads.

Canada ships out the ZENN, but you can't drive the ZENN across Canada, only in one province.

[inlogic @ Mar 6th 2008 6:17PM]

Is it me or does it looks too much alike Smart ForFour by Mercedes?

[skulldriveshaft @ Mar 6th 2008 6:24PM]

The Smart Four Four is competitive to the B-Class right now, so it wouldn't make sense.

I'm hoping to see the Smart Coupe though :]

[TC @ Mar 6th 2008 6:18PM]

Whatever happened to Ford's investment in Think? IIRC that was back in 2001.

[Andrew @ Mar 6th 2008 6:58PM]

Think did originally have a partnership with Ford. Ford pulled out. Now GE's coming in. It's always been a Norwegian company with American investors.

[Russ @ Mar 6th 2008 6:18PM]

big pharma.. big oil.. big electro?

[granny down east @ Mar 6th 2008 8:39PM]

"Big oil, big electric..."
"efforts to enable global electrification of transportation."
Either way, Big Oil wins.

[mushrooshi @ Mar 6th 2008 6:20PM]

Ripoff of the fortwo style.

Yea, Rank low.

[mushrooshi @ Mar 6th 2008 6:27PM]

Oh, and this is deeply irrelevant, but can you please ban mr friggles thank you very much.

http://www.engadget.com/profile/187153/
^^Him^^

Hes been trolling the boards, and giving false claims of wifi and 3G causing cancer, and also is trolling the Engadget community by calling us
punks", "geeks", and "nerds". Not that there is anything wrong with nerds and geeks, as I am a nerd myself, but he says it in a negative connotation.

Thanks.

[Geir E @ Mar 6th 2008 6:36PM]

http://www.autocult.com.au/img/gallery/full/AkinaGhost1214.jpg

you could say so. but for what is worth the think is prettier. ;)

[andres @ Mar 6th 2008 6:48PM]

seconded

[Christian @ Mar 6th 2008 6:57PM]

it's more like the forfour's actually, and that's what I first thought of too.

[mr friggles @ Mar 6th 2008 8:20PM]

lmao I seem to have a nerdy e-stalker..am I in a Mariah Carey video or something?? Its funny this "person" acts as if mentioning wifi and cancer in the same sentence is a horrid crime.

Not. If. You're. Edjumicated.

Britain is investigating the cancer of risk of wifi, should they be banned for conceiving such a crime? http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=22063

[mushrooshi @ Mar 6th 2008 8:40PM]

See! Ban him!

His stuff is just as much bull as is Scientology.

[mr friggles @ Mar 6th 2008 9:33PM]

Britain's top health agency - the Health Protection Agency - is "bull"? uhh?

Oh I see, you were mentioning me because you actually agree and were being sarcastic to boost my profile. aah, technique was lil bit sloppy, but, whatever!

[skulldriveshaft @ Mar 7th 2008 1:23AM]

@mr friggles: It's not that they said there was a certain risk of cancer.

It boils down to only a statistical significance, but with anything that's going to be microwaving your brain and ear, it's best to not be next to or in the path of high powered WiFi equipment.

Just like you don't sit in front of a CRT anymore, we're progressing slowly, but at least LCDs have reduced the radiation being blasted at our heads :]

I would say that the bluetooth ear pieces are going to be the next culprits, because now you have two waveforms trying to connect directly, going through your body, and into your head (depending on where you place your handset). Plus the fact that continued use with only one ear could start the process of hearing loss in that ear.

[Derrick @ Mar 9th 2008 4:11AM]

I WOULD BUY THAT!

[inlogic @ Mar 6th 2008 7:27PM]

I'm talking on Looks department.

[Greg @ Mar 6th 2008 7:48PM]

I can't wait until we get rid of wasteful, wallet thinning, gas powered cars. This is a step in the right direction.

[mr friggles @ Mar 6th 2008 8:26PM]

I must say KUDOS to engadget for this write up. Its good on details, pic is soft on the eyes, no obvious bias, and overall upbeat! This is the kind of writing/editing I approve of.

And even though I'm not a fan of GM...this shows maybe they aren't trying to bankrupt themselves with a dead-end oil-slick marketing strategy. Good news (maybe) all around!

[ddub @ Mar 6th 2008 8:51PM]

I made this mistake at first too, but it says GE not GM. I'd definitely be worried if it was GM, because they'd probably sell Think and A123Systems to Texaco in a year.

[mr friggles @ Mar 7th 2008 11:10AM]

GE??? Hmmm. Thats...interesting. I guess they see the potential in licen$ing this tech out. Yep maybe that IS better than Generally Malevolent.

[JonV @ Mar 6th 2008 8:37PM]

Best feature: The standard 220V outlets between the front seats. (I assume those would be 110V if the car ever makes it stateside.)

[harispilton @ Mar 6th 2008 9:55PM]

is it me or does 20 million and 5 million dollars seem like chump change for GM?

[Siva @ Mar 7th 2008 12:05AM]

Guys - a lot of people are making the mistake thinking GM is making the investment. It is GE that is making the investment. While GM has more sales per year, GE makes a lot more profit and also has a very big market capitilization in the stock market ($350+ Billion). GE is also well diversified. They are running a slogan called Ecomagination. I hope this investment is not just symbolic. GE should pour more money into this and make electric cars very affordable. May be that will be a new growth driver for them. Then they can work on the clean wind energy and nuclear technologies that they already have.

[michael.thompson @ Mar 8th 2008 9:01AM]

This is a really ugly car that should be called Skunk, not Think!

[NakedOldGuy @ Mar 7th 2008 6:38PM]

Damnit GE! Quit ruining my stock!

[Chris M @ Mar 15th 2008 1:26AM]

The photo is of the Think "Ox" concept that was shown at the Geneva auto show.