Arquivos Diários: 2008/07/03

tokyo.jpg

(Business 2.0 Magazine) — Three pinstriped London investors stand outside an electric car factory in the green fields of the Norwegian countryside, waiting their turns to test-drive a stylish two-seater called the Think City.

But first, Think CEO Jan-Olaf Willums takes the wheel. While the moneymen fiddle with their BlackBerrys, Willums, looking slightly rumpled like the academic he once was, turns the ignition, and the stub-nosed coupe silently rolls toward an open stretch of pavement. Suddenly he punches the pedal, and the car takes off like a shot, the AC motor instantaneously transferring power to the wheels. The only sound is the squealing of tires as Willums throws the little car into a tight turn and barrels back toward his startled guests.
think_car.03.jpg
THINKING DIFFERENT: Jon-Olaf Williams, the CEO of Think, will see the City but lease its battery as part of a ‘mobility fee’ that may include insurance and Wi-Fi access.
think_stirling_chart.gif
think_assembly_220.jpg
SMARTER ASSEMBLY REQUIRED: The City is built from prefabricated parts, allowing Think to place its factories near key markets.
kamen_220.jpg
STIRLING SOLUTION: Dean Kamen’s heat engine could extend the Think’s range by hundreds of miles, turning the car into a mobile generator.
More from Business 2.0
Live chat: your new online salesperson
The hijack-proof truck
Server farm goes solar
Fastest Growing Tech Companies
Current Issue
Subscribe to Fortune
Video More video
One taxi company profits from going green in the busiest city in the world. CNN’s Ali Velshi reports.
Play video

“That looks fun,” Frode Aschim of Range Capital Partners says with a grin. Minutes later, he slides into the driver’s seat and speeds away.