Thursday, April 24, 2008

think o-x: built in sustainability


think has been manufacturing electric cars for over seventeen years and with the design expertise of porsche behind the layout of their little production plant in norway, think looks poised to branch out in a big way into the ever expanding world of alternate energy vehicles.

think’s first vehicle “the city” has been in production for nine years now. 95% recyclable and made of recycled materials, the think city makes a powerful statement in the automotive world.

ford injected a fair bit of money into think (150 million dollars!) for a while but the company is now owned by a consortium of norwegian investors who have moved to expand think’s offerings and prime it for emergence into the expanding electric vehicle market.

the latest addition to the think stable is a lovely four door, five seater, named the think “ox” that i imagine is pronounced “oh-ex”.

integrating a solar cell canopy that can be used to power onboard and outboard electronics, the ox (like its city stablemate) boasts 95% recylability of its interior, comes unpainted, and has an entirely recyclable exterior. utilizing your choice of sodium batteries or flat lithium ion packs, the ox also features real time navigation, web, e-mail and open source interfaces, making it a truly connected car.

i like that combination of green design (both in manufacturing and in its post utility phase), with its being an extension of the owner’s electronic link to the larger world.

the thinking behind the ox is shown here in this short film.

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