Think to start selling City electric vehicle in New York, other locales this year
By Darren Murph 
posted April 1st 2010 10:01PM
posted April 1st 2010 10:01PM
posted April 1st 2010 10:01PM
A look back on popular stories from today in a specific year.
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
I bet Honda Insight is still better.
Prius used to be good...
@kb24istrash
Better in what way? The insight is a hybrid, this is a 100% electric vehicle. Battery technoloy is still prohibitively pricey and limited, so they had to make sacrifices, so its not entirely fair to compare the two.
@kb24istrash
and you used to be...
"Think?"
"Smart" car?
Are they try to say that if you drive anything that seats more than 2 people you are not "smart" or not "thinking?" Whether they think I'm "smart" or not, we all know a tuba is not going to fit in THAT thing.
@Smart People Play Tuba There seems to be a trend of positioning electric and hybrid microcars as "smart" and "intelligent", whatever the hell that means: Th!nk, Smart, and Toyota/Scion iQ.
It's below $18,000 I thought... weird, was only last year I thought they had the price down.
For a car, it's meh. For an electric car, it's no Tesla Model S, but for a cheap price, it seems OKAY.
@APV i would like to see some electric cars that actually look like normal cars and not little plastic toys. Tesla has it right so far but, as sweet as they are, too pricey to be in every American driveway. this Think City is getting closer to a real electric car that anybody could see themselves driving. people like the Insight, Prius and the Smart4Two because they look goofy and draw attention. they want people to know they are saving the environment and they are better than you. just put hybird or electric motors in a normal car, like the Civic Hybrid or Camry Hybrid. electric cars wont catch on until they are under $30k and look like your everyday Taurus, Camry Jetta, Malibu or Altima.
/rant
@kojo87 Aerodynamics... THAT's why they look the way they do most of the time.
Also, vehicle design has come a long way over the years. Why should we continue making cars that look the same forever?
I like it. I like that it's small but still a 2+2, in a way. I want to test drive one, though it's unlikely that I will actually buy one.
Needs a petrol engine and a horse logo on the front
@OCEAN CLAK Mmmm you're so cool...
@APV
Yeah cool, like this energy resource saving convertable car with leather seats, perfect for city trips, especially with a payed model in the passenger seat.
@OCEAN CLAK
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs484.snc3/26492_1294865094958_1330254756_30887073_4174950_n.jpg
@OCEAN CLAK what the hell is your point? im not positive but i think this is targeted at a slightly different market than a Ferrari.
@kojo87
The point is why are most electric or green cars so ugly or look like toys
In the UK theres alot of people driving these G-Wiz things
http://www.goingreen.co.uk/xs_i/G-Wiz%20angled.small.jpg
only a few cars such as prius etc look like cars
@OCEAN CLAK
That's funny you mention that, because there are a couple of car makers that make cars exactly like you described. With a gas-engine and they even draw little animals on their hoods, just to keep you happy.
Ferrari? I thought he was talking about THIS horse logo . . .
http://www.globalmotors.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/2010_ford_mustang_pony_badge.jpg
But then he used the term "petrol" instead of "gasoline" so I figured I must have been mistaken.
Why do some of the mainstream electric/fuel efficient vehicles have such tiny tires, a la Tata Nano.
@furquanatique
Now I'm not a physicist or anything, so I can't be 100% on this, but if I'm correct it has something to do with smaller tires = better acceleration in the sense that ... it's more efficient to move little tires to reach speed than bigger tires, since bigger tires have to spin more to reach the same speed as the smaller tires.
So if you're in the city, and here the limit -- what IS the limit here? 25 or 30? -- let's say it's 25, it's easier [on the engine/gas consumption/(electricity consumption?)] to make the smaller wheels spin and hit 25, than to do that with the 17" rims I'd put on that.
Capisci?
@Gas
Pretty much. Rotating mass is a fickle bitch.
@Gas
Yeah, thanks!
@furquanatique
NP, dude.
Moving sidewalks would do away with this.
@furquanatique
Smaller wheels have lower rotational mass, and are easier on fuel consumption when changing speed, which is especially important in city driving. One of the reasons the original Mini had such great acceleration.
@Feris842
That makes sense. Thanks!
I hope they make the wheel wells bigger, if they can't already hold 16" chromed out rims. Then I can drop it a bit, maybe put a two 20" subs in the back, and just drive around the hood blasting regguetón...
@Gas
I have yet to see 20 inch subs. 21 inch subs though, yeah.
@BigJayDogg3
Uh, yeah, you're absolutely right. Oops!
Why can't you just buy a more fuel efficient vehicle like the prius, insight or ford fiesta or something? This car looks very dangerous, imagine getting hit while in one of these.
@Mike Vick
They'll cause more pollution in highly populated areas as opposed to a power plant that isn't smack dab in the middle of a city's heavily populated areas.
@Mike Vick People think the Smart car is dangerous as well. Research it. The less mass you have when crashing, the less momentum and therefore less damage. So long as the passengers are well protected in a crush-free zone, you'll be better off in this thing than in a Ford Explorer. Not to mention the relative instability of larger vehicles. The lower you are to the ground, the less chance of you getting blown all over the place and the easier it is to maneuver out of danger.
@vertigo1
no. the smart is a very safe car, but that has to do with the fact that the smart is a reinforced shell with a body attached. If this thing is built like a "normal" car, it wont be anywhere near in the same league. "Mass" alone has little to nithing to do with it. If anything, the fact that its so small is a downside because post impact the car will go flying.
@vertigo1
And a low center of gravity can only account for so much. A low COG isnt any good if i have outrageous amounts of body roll.
@Mike Vick
Don't let your imagination go wild with the "SCARY" world that is outside. Buy yourself a lot of insurance, lock yourself in the house, and watch TV all day, and continue imagining all sorts of "SCARY, SCARY" accidents, all from the safety of your sofa.
THIS CAR STR8 UP SUCKS to drive like the steering is terrible... i had the pleasure to test drive it at the NY international auto show and boy i tell you this car cannot handle well at all... if i was spending that money much rather get a mini e (which is only on lease) or the mitsubishi miev.. the mitsubishi and mini both drive way better than this cracker box on wheels... on top the company representative was telling me how it is better than the detroit model because this has power steering...the power steering is like nonexistant overall this car sucks
Can't automakers figure out that I don't want my electric car to LOOK like an electric car? Why can't these things look normal? I know the Tesla does, but it's not like everyone can afford that (or wants to take one to NYC).
It's kind of flashy. Maybe they could dress it down a bit before production.
And which garage is going to supply you with an outlet and free electricity? None.
I hope they succeed. I like these little cars, but they are not for everyone.
Please tell everyone how "prius used to be good", and how it no longer qualifies for the "goodness" seal.
Id like to know where we are all going to charge our electric cars?..Lets see..800 a month for a garage....and HOW much are they going to charge me for the charge?
@genomecop
Far less than you would use on petrol, which you wont need now that you have an electric car. Aaaaaah..
A friend had one of the original Thinks. He thought it was very sweet. Then they took it back. He didn't think much of that.
i can't wait to plow through one of these at triple the speed limit.
i'm not the american clarkson. i promise.
Quite possibly the dumbest thing for a city like NYC is an electric car. You can barely find a parking spot on the street but now you have to find one with an electrical outlet?
Oh yeah - before anyone starts talking "Garage!", getting garage parking costs about the same as your monthly car note and no - most of them DON'T have an outlet at each spot.
It's going to be the internal combustion engine for many decades to come.