Th!nk Global, a Norway-based electric car maker, announced on Monday that it will be entering the U.S. market. Th!nk CEO Jan-Olaf Willums made the announcement at an event in Los Angeles, California where the automaker showed its new Th!nk City car.
According to Automotive News, Th!nk will begin selling its electric City car in the U.S. in 2009.
It remains unclear which company will supply Th!nk with batteries for the U.S. market, but it’s likely that A123 Systems and EnerDel will land the contract as they currently supply the battery packs for Euro-spec Th!nk vehicles. Tesla Motors originally inked a $43 million dollar agreement to supply Th!nk with lithium-ion batteries in 2005, but backed out of the deal in late 2007. Of note, A123 Systems is also developing the lithium ion batteries that will power the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.
Ford owned Th!nk from 1999 until 2003, but sold the company after California dropped its zero-emissions regulations.
Th!nk has yet to officially announce how much the U.S.-spec City car will cost, but Willums has indicated the car will sticker in the $15,000 to $17,000 range, with an additional $100 to $200 monthly fee to cover the battery lease and vehicle insurance. The car should have a range of about 106 miles and a top speed of 62 mph and feature a long list of amenities — including air conditioning, power steering, sun roof, electric windows and mirrors.
