TH!NK CityDevelopment took more time and resources than anticipated, so when development of the production model was finished in 1999, finances had dried up. The company was then acquired by Ford, who could start production of the TH!NK city. Ford even embraced the TH!NK concept, and marketed an electrically driven bicycle as well as a golf carts under the same brand.

Production ceased in 2002, after 1005 units had been made. Many of these cars participated in station car projects in California and in New York City.

Probably due to changes in the California zero-emissions vehicle policy, Ford gave up Think on January 31 2003. The company was sold to KamKorp Microelectronics of Switzerland, owned by Kamal Siddiqi. Development of a successor to the City was subsequently halted. The used cars from US and UK have been re-exported[1] to Norway where they are in high demand due to the government's policy to promote the use of electrical cars (EVs are exempt from taxes, have free parking, pass toll roads for free, and are allowed to drive in the bus lanes avoiding traffic congestions).

In 2004, the company turned its attention to development of the TH!NK public, a micro size electric bus to be rented to customers for inner city travel. By February 2006, prototypes of the vehicle had been developed, but the company went into receivership.

At the end of March 2006 Think Nordic was acquired by Norwegian investment group InSpire, which includes the original founder Jan Otto Ringdal as a partner. The company was renamed Think Global.

For the next year the Th!nk website showed a restyled "new TH!NK city" car which was under development. An open version of the car was also pictured but the company said it had no plans to put it into production.

The first production car was completed at the end of February 2007, according to Th!nk president Jan-Olaf Willums, speaking at the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco.

In March 2007 a completely new website was posted, with many more images of the new car rendered into artist's impressions and various exterior/interior photographs. This site is presented in Norwegian and English.

The original English page reported: "We are currently in the process of preparing the new TH!NK city for production in the fall of 2007. The new TH!NK city has ABS brakes, dual airbags, and meets all European and US safety requirements. It has a range of 170 km (106 miles), a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and has comfort and convenience features such as air conditioning, power steering, sun roof, electric windows and mirrors, and more."

Think has indicated via email that it will start selling the new version in the fourth quarter in Norway, followed by the first quarter of 2008 in the UK and second half of 2008 in the U.S. The March 2007 website says that the company is already taking orders in Norway and will announce its international plans on its English page.

A price list in Norwegian Kroner adds up to NOK 199,000 before optional features, which is approximately $32,500 US, or £16,600 UK, or 24,500 Euros. The battery pack will be leased rather than sold to purchasers. The fee will be NKR975 per month ($160, £81, EUR120).

more About Think Global
The company has more than 17 years of experience in developing and producing electric vehicles and there are about 1,200 vehicles driving on Norwegian roads today. The latest TH!NK city is the fifth-generation electric vehicle that has been produced in Norway. Series production of the newly designed TH!NK city car started late last year and the first cars will be delivered to Norwegian customers. The capacity of its first assembly plant in Aurskog, outside Oslo, is presently being increased to 10,000 cars per year. Think expects to be producing at full capacity sometime during 2009. Enthusiastic owners with the vision and resources want to make Think the "car company of the 21st century."


About Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers
Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers (http://www.kpcb.com) is leading the venture community to invest in and accelerate Green technology solutions and policy innovations. The firm has been active in Greentech initiatives since 1999. KPCB has committed more than $200 million to ventures across the globe that offer green technology products and services, such as better biofuels, renewable energy generation, cleaner transportation, improved energy storage, and higher energy efficiency technologies. More than half the firm's investing professionals are involved in Greentech investments.

Since its founding in 1972, KPCB has backed entrepreneurs in over 475 ventures, including AOL, Amazon.com, Citrix, Compaq Computer, Electronic Arts, Genentech, Genomic Health, Google, Intuit, Juniper Networks, Netscape, Lotus, Sun Microsystems and Symantec. More than 150 of the firm's portfolio companies have gone public. The firm has offices in Menlo Park, California, Beijing, China and Shanghai, China.


About Rockport Capital
RockPort Capital Partners, founded in 2000, is one of the pioneering Cleantech/Greentech VC funds and focuses exclusively on the Energy and Power, Advanced Materials and Process and Prevention technology sectors. With offices in Boston, MA and Menlo Park, CA, Rockport has invested, to date, over $300M in more than 40 portfolio companies with breakthrough technologies that deliver significant economic value to large potential markets. For more information, visit: http://www.rockportcap.com.