THINK has been busy over the past year getting its City EV to consumers throughout the Western Hemisphere. The automaker’s Finnish facilities have delivered City EVs to customers from Austria to the Netherlands. THINK has also invested in a new facility in Indiana that will produce EVs for North American consumers starting in 2011. The latest trend in THINK’s rollout strategy is partnerships with governments and corporations. The company recently delivered 15 City EVs to drivers in Ataun, Spain to encourage zero-emissions car sharing.
France represents a major market for THINK in the next decade. The automaker recently signed an agreement with MOBIVIA Groupe to deliver EVs to French consumers. MOBIVIA Groupe is a partnership of six parts manufacturers in France that has worked toward sustainable mobility since 1970. These manufacturers include major brands like Synchro Diffusion, Maxauto and Midas. THINK will work with these companies through a new personal mobility venture called O2City.
The primary goal of the THINK/O2City collaboration is to put 100,000 zero-emissions vehicles on French roads by 2015. THINK benefits greatly from existing contracts and partnerships held by O2City members. The City EV could be a major component of vehicle fleets for French government agencies like La Poste. Another benefit for THINK is access to a nationwide network of service providers. This partnership could open THINK vehicles to more than 700 service centers and showrooms throughout France.
O2City is going above and beyond to ensure that THINK will supply plenty of EVs to French drivers. This venture is investing in public EV chargers as well as home charging units to anticipate consumer needs. Participating service technicians will receive training in THINK City EVs to reduce time and expense for repairing unique drive components. THINK and O2City are working on leasing and financing packages to reduce upfront costs for the City EV.
THINK and O2City highlight the importance of broad coalitions in affecting change in the automotive industry. City EVs have thus far been restricted to select consumers in European countries who are inclined to early adoption. The financial resources and market penetration of MOBIVIA Groupe should pry open the door to the French market for THINK. The City EV should become more ubiquitous in France over the next five years thanks to sufficient infrastructure, financial incentives and public education.
