EV Maker Think Announces Entry Into French Market With New Distribution Partner
By Scott Doggett August 16, 2010
Scandinavian electric-vehicle maker Think today announced its entry into the French market through a partnership with MOBIVIA Groupe and its newly established sustainable mobility division, O2City.
Think's partnership with O2City represents the biggest distribution and service offering in Think's history, with access to potentially more than 800 sales and service facilities throughout France, the company said in a statement.
The partnership puts Think in a strong position to fill the EV fleet needs various entities such as with a consortium led by French postal service La Poste. This consortium aims to put 100,000 electric vehicles on French roads over the next five years.
"We could not wish for a stronger and better-equipped partner for the sale of the Think City in France, said Think CEO Richard Canny, in reference to the company's City EV.
O2City claims it will offer much more than EVs. The company says it is is also set up to offer finance packages, insurance, charging stations at its outlets, home charging solutions, EV maintenance and after-sales service through its network of eco-mobility centers.
European production of the Think City continues in Finland with manufacturing partner Valmet Automotive, which also assembles the Boxster and Cayman models for Porsche AG. Customer deliveries are taking place across Europe in selected key EV markets such as The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.
THINK also recently announced plans to establish a U.S. production facility during 2011 in Elkhart County, Indiana, and is working with Japanese partner Itochu on developing operations in Asia.
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Th!nk is doing a great job of fighting the big boys.
I can see cars like this being popular for business use in cities.
Here in the UK the otherwise in my view more or less useless Smart is often the vehicle of choice in crowded cities for estate agents and so on to nip from destination to destination, and so does not suffer from it's inability to transport the family.
I am wondering if they will do a similar tie up to that in Japan, to win business from the French post office for electric conversions, just as they did in Japan:
'Ener1 and Think have teamed up to provide an integrated electric drive system for the Japan Post. The vehicles will undergo full electric conversions at the Japanese based company Zero Sports.
Ener1 supplies the lithium-ion batteries required for the vehicle while Think is responsible for the powertrain components. The combined package is then installed in current Japan Post vehicles converting the gasoline and diesel powered vehicles to electric.'
http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1022480_ener1-and-thnk-combine-to-electrify-japans-postal-fleet
This is much cheaper than the custom built electrics, and they are selling 1,000 next year, 1/3rd of the replacement ordering by the Japanese post in the year.
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