BBC Radio 4's THINK City - 'Electric Rides' finale

During Peter Currans' 'Electric Ride', he and his producer will be taking advantage of special EV concessions to drive in bus lanes, free on-street re-charging and no congestion charges. The car will cost about a penny per mile to run and should be maintenance free, since the only mechanical part is the brakes.

There are more than 1,500 THINK City cars on the roads across Europe, and with a company history dating back to the beginning of the 1990s, the company has the experience of more than 30 million miles of very happy and pure electric mobility behind it.

Designed for recyclability and long-lasting style

Smart materials and clever details have made it an award winning Scandinavian piece of sustainable design. The most striking feature is the unpainted plastic body-work and panels. Apart from reducing both energy consumption and toxins, the car is highly-recyclable and pretty much dent and scratch-proof - ideal for city-driving. Some may find it difficult to feel safe in a completely plastic car, but it's classed as a proper car, meeting all EU and U.S. safety requirements. The glass rear hatch permits vision right down to the street level to the rear - so no need for heavy, energy-consuming rear-view cameras, video screens and sensors.

Inside, the entire dashboard: fabric, supports, air-ducts, fittings and even the glue are all designed using the same recyclable materials. And at the end of the vehicle battery‟s operational life, this also is returned to the supplier for recycling.

Safety

The THINK City is the world’s first EV to be granted certification with the European CE conformity mark and EU homologation requirements (M1 certificate). It will be available in the UK late 2010 and also built and sold in the US from 2011. To comply with these exacting standards, the THINK City has successfully completed very thorough safety, testing and validation procedures including over 50 sled tests and nearly 30 real crash tests. Comprehensive electrical testing has also been conducted over extended periods, including 30cm deep-water wading and total submergence in salt water with all electrical systems activated.

Communications between vehicle and user with details such as battery state-of-charge and other useful statistics can be transmitted from the vehicle straight to the user‟s mobile telephone.