What is it?
Ford Th!nk city
What's special about it?
From the folks who brought the imperative to Focus, a decree that we should also TH!NK (yessir, that's an exclamation mark, thank you very much): Ford is developing, and making available in the U.S. markets two years from now, the "city" (no sir, that's not a typo - apparently named by an e.e. cummings devotee). You say you reside in one already? If you live in Norway, you might. The "city," an electric vehicle which started mass production in 1999 outside of Oslo, is a two-seater that can maneuver through and fit into tight city spaces, hence the name. This puppy can run zero to 31 miles per hour in seven seconds flat, boasts a top speed of 56 mph, and is powered by 19 nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries, generating approximately 11.5 kilowatt hours of energy. Ok, we're leaving out one important detail: the thing doesn't produce any emissions. None. You can drive all you want without suffering one iota of guilt. You just recharge using a 220-volt outlet and go - okay, so the recharge takes up to 8 hours, but it leaves you with a few of life's important lessons: be kind to the environment, don't take up more than your fair share of space, and plan ahead.
Why should I care?
We can all be Ed Begley Jr. wannabes. And if Al Gore has it his way, we will be. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The TH!NK Group is, according to Ford, "an all-new organization that will provide innovative solutions for environmentally responsible personal mobility." The line, so far, is comprised of the "neighbor," a fancy golf cart topping out at 25 mph that can be used on private roads and in limited-access communities (show up the Joneses with a drag race competitor for their Rascal!), and electric bicycles, the "fun" and the "traveler" (folds up into a neat little package for travel) which lets you pedal up a hill, then with a wrist twist you can let the electric motor coast down the hill. Or the other way around. These will be available in the latter part of the year for delivery to your door. A methanol reformer fuel cell electric powertrain is also being researched, with the Ford Focus as its pod vehicle. Within the next few years California will test buses and cars with fuel cell power.
Ford Th!nk city
What's special about it?
From the folks who brought the imperative to Focus, a decree that we should also TH!NK (yessir, that's an exclamation mark, thank you very much): Ford is developing, and making available in the U.S. markets two years from now, the "city" (no sir, that's not a typo - apparently named by an e.e. cummings devotee). You say you reside in one already? If you live in Norway, you might. The "city," an electric vehicle which started mass production in 1999 outside of Oslo, is a two-seater that can maneuver through and fit into tight city spaces, hence the name. This puppy can run zero to 31 miles per hour in seven seconds flat, boasts a top speed of 56 mph, and is powered by 19 nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries, generating approximately 11.5 kilowatt hours of energy. Ok, we're leaving out one important detail: the thing doesn't produce any emissions. None. You can drive all you want without suffering one iota of guilt. You just recharge using a 220-volt outlet and go - okay, so the recharge takes up to 8 hours, but it leaves you with a few of life's important lessons: be kind to the environment, don't take up more than your fair share of space, and plan ahead.
Why should I care?
We can all be Ed Begley Jr. wannabes. And if Al Gore has it his way, we will be. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The TH!NK Group is, according to Ford, "an all-new organization that will provide innovative solutions for environmentally responsible personal mobility." The line, so far, is comprised of the "neighbor," a fancy golf cart topping out at 25 mph that can be used on private roads and in limited-access communities (show up the Joneses with a drag race competitor for their Rascal!), and electric bicycles, the "fun" and the "traveler" (folds up into a neat little package for travel) which lets you pedal up a hill, then with a wrist twist you can let the electric motor coast down the hill. Or the other way around. These will be available in the latter part of the year for delivery to your door. A methanol reformer fuel cell electric powertrain is also being researched, with the Ford Focus as its pod vehicle. Within the next few years California will test buses and cars with fuel cell power.
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