2011 Think City

The 2011 Think City is a 100-percent electric hatchback wearing recyclable body panels and interior trim pieces. It's designed to attract urban eco-warriors, but does it have a broader appeal? We borrowed the key to one and spent a few hours scooting around the Orange County, California coast to find out.

Staring at the outside of the Think City, we had expected the inside would be reminiscent of a cramped Manhattan studio apartment. Since your author is taller than the average bear, we're very happy to report that the interior of the Think is closer to Central Park. Both seats make our backs happy, and all of the climate and audio controls sit close at hand. There's also a cloth roof that slides back at the push of a button, infinitely increasing our already ample head room.

That tall roof combines with a short wheelbase for an interesting combination of front and rear visibility. The front windshield is cut at a tight angle, which puts the top right in our line of vision. The bottom, however, extends far out, and provides a great view of the road directly in front of the City. Out back, the lightweight rear hatch runs all the way down to the bumper. This makes rearward vision amazing, while the forward view is merely adequate.

Speaking of that rear view, cargo space is surprisingly voluminous given the City's size. The 165.4-inch-long Volkswagen Golf TDI gives you 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space, or 46 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded. A 146.6-inch Mini Cooper with its rear seats folded gives up 24 cubic feet of cargo space, and a 139.6-inch Fiat 500 provides just 30.1. The Think City EV is just 123.7 inches long, yet provides 29 cubic feet of cargo space – more than enough for groceries, golf clubs and your growing sense of self satisfaction.

Mounted ahead of the cabin space is an electric motor that provides 34kW of power under normal load. If necessary, it can jump to 37kW, which is about 50 horsepower. Paired with a one-speed gearbox, operating the Think City is as basic as it gets. Key in, twist, hear nothing, pop the shift lever into D and away you go, a greener person. And you're able to "go" thanks to the 66 pound-feet of torque available.

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