Think Ox Concept

Think is a Norwegian company specializing in small electric vehicles. Its new concept, called Ox, looks to be a much more mainstream vehicle than any of the minicars the company sells overseas. Roughly the size of a Scion xB, the front-wheel-drive Ox MPV will have a 60-kW electric motor and a range of 124 miles on a full charge. It can be charged via a normal household outlet. Charging the car to 80% will take just an hour using a special charger, while a full charge will take 12 hours. 

The company is planning to use either sodium or lithium-ion batteries, and there’s a strip of solar cells running down the center of the roof. The Ox is built on an interchangeable platform, so a coupe body style with a larger motor and batteries or a taxicab configuration could also be manufactured.

Unfortunately, the Ox looks to be a true concept, with no firm date on when we could expect to see it on the road. The other unfortunate part is that Think doesn’t have a presence in the U.S. General Electric recently invested $4 million into Think, though, so don’t give up hope of one day seeing the Ox on the street. More photos below.

Comments

[ziggy]

When is someone actually going to start mass production on an electric vehicle? Even if it only gets 80 miles out of a charge it would still make great city car. One way to drive competition and to improve the technology is to produce it.

[Scott]

This car looks amazing. It seems like people always take issue with 'only' 60, 80, 100 miles per charge. I live about 15 miles from work (one way); it would definately be enough to get me back and forth everyday with plenty left over for errands! Just charge it overnight and you would be golden! The solar strip would have to go to make it slightly more affordable but still... bring it!

[Mario]

I don't get it in 1995 when gas was $1 a GALLON They came out with a ELECTRIC CAR now that is over
$5 a GALLON they have all kinds of issue to make one,go figure ???

[Jacob]

It is because the oil companies own many patents on specific technologies relating to evs and hybrids and what not and what they do is just sit on them so they can make some more dirty money.....damn pun intended.

[imoore]

I'm actually interested in this car. I can recall the first time the Think city was available for sale (I even have a die-cast model). I hope the Ox and the new City go on sale soon.

[Corky Boyd]

A pure electric car won't achieve commercial success unless it has internal recharging backup. While the OX designers claim 1 hour recharging (80%) is possible, you have to run the numbers to see if this is practical.

To have a range of 200km (124 mi)you need about 50 to 60 kwh of usable battery capacity. To fill up you need to put about 250 amps of 220v in the tank for an hour. As most outlets in the US are for 220 are 30 or 50 amps, you are really looking at 5 hours to recharge.

Most people are averse to waiting an hour or 5 hours to fill up if they are on the road and find they are running low. Would be bad to wait that long if you had a couple of screaming kids in the back, even worse if your mother-in-law is there. If you run out, you will need a tow to someplace who has the proper outlets to fill you up, or to your home. 10 to 15 mile tows aren't cheap.

Electric power to run your car is far cheaper than running on gasoline, about a quarter of the price per mile. Electric cars will sell, even at a premium to IC power, for this reason. But the risk of being stranded for prolonged periods hurts the electric-only vehicle.

Both Toyota and GM are working on engine assisted electric vehicles. They will have aprox. 40 mile range vehicles under e-power, and they will get you home if you run low.

[Grim]

The problem with the American way of thinking about automotive transportation is that it's analogous to hunting with an elephant gun. There great for hunting elephants, and maybe hippos, but are way over sized for most other tasks. You want to hunt a squirrel? That big gun is mighty ungainly all of a sudden eh? Using a 3000 lb + machine to move 150lb of cargo (a person). or a 6000 lb SUV or pickup to move a few groceries is utterly inefficient.
Your statement about having your mother in law waiting for 5 hours while you charge the car is rather narrow. Why would you drive 120 miles in your car, then go pick up your pain in the ass mother in law, knowing that it only goes 125 miles on a charge? It's just about changing your expectations. If you know that you are interested in spending 3 hours+ in a car each day, don't buy this car.
90% of Americans drive less than 40 miles a day.
87% or so are driving alone
80 some odd percent are moving nothing in there cars but themselves.
We just need EV's plus easy car rentals or Car sharing that has a variety of vehicles for different needs. Why should each person need to own there own $20,000 machine?
Not to mention trains, bikes, living close to work and play etc.

[shopa]

I have invented a way to make small cars much safer in collisions.
Please see my website safersmallcars.com
If you like the idea, please tell the car companies. At this time they have rejected my idea.

[Cj]

I don't know who you are "shopa" but stop your marketing BS. I doubt anyone wants to go to your stupid website, anyway. Small cars are safe without whatever BS your trying to sell us. Just please don't use cars.com as a sales platform or as "free advertisement" for your sad sad website.

[Glenn]

I'm hoping that I'm on my last petrol motor vehicle as the big cars companies are too slow to act as there sales now are showing! As other people have said that the long range thing isn't the problem (I'm just about ready to go to work in a golf kart)and as for power packs or batteries,just get the vehicles out there and update/replace the power sources later!!! Hell I would order a Tesla if it was about 50k, a 2+2 even with less range and speed!!!

[Bill Swann]

I drive a force EV daily. While it does not get 124 miles per charge, I can vouch that the best watt-hrs per mile that I have done is 160.
My battery pack is about 8kw-hr. 8000\160 = 50 miles. Due to peukert's relation, the battery capacity is dependent on the amp withdraw rate. My best range per charge was 57 miles.