Viva the Electric Car!

by Andrea Millar — April 22, 2008

People who have seen the oft-discussed documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" (answer: it was YOU, apathetic American consumer!) may remember footage of a slew of brand-new Ford Th!nks awaiting shredding in a junkyard like cows for slaughter. You may have thought, "Gee, I shoulda checked one of those out when I had a chance...good bye, little zaftig zero-emissions car!" Well, fear not, automakers in Norway, which currently supports electric cars at home through tax breaks, free parking, and more liberal traffic laws, have a surprise for you: they're bringing it back, sans-Ford label. That's right, the 2008 Th!nk City Car is ready to show you its stuff.

You may even get a chance to buy one here in the US. Although demand runs high in European countries, we have yet to have an electric car available to the public in the US. The Th!nk will be the first one publicly available in the UK, but with the 14,000 pound price tag (about 29,000 USD), it has gathered its share of skeptical stares in showrooms. It has a new battery, a new look, and a respectable range of 124 miles after full charge.

The Th!nk isn't the only electric car seeing action in 2008. Chinese automaker Jinan is currently looking to sell its electric Flybo model in the States at the reasonable price of $12,000, while formerly stodgy Chrysler turned heads this year at the Detroit Auto Show with its Dodge Zeo muscle car, boasting a 250-mile range and a decent 0-60 in 6 acceleration. Chevrolet has also come out with an electric concept car called the Volt, which uses combustion to charge a Lithium-ion battery for up to 400 miles. According to the literature, however, they prefer not to market it as a hybrid, insisting instead on the label "extended-range electric vehicle." (Interesting verbiage, considering EV's were a supposed flop a mere 6 years ago.)

I'm pleased to see new developments in the electric car arena. But I wonder about the viability of the plug-in model for a sizeable portion of their intended market of city dwellers. Namely, anyone living in an apartment--how do I charge that thing if I don't have a garage? While I laud their efforts, I'd like to see this problem seriously tackled lest we see the release of a "Who Killed the Electric Car?" sequel.