Think Global

Think Global was a Norwegian electric-vehicle manufacturer based in Bærum that developed and produced compact battery-electric vehicles under the TH!NK brand. Its roots went back to January 1991, when it was established as Pivco, short for Personal Independent Vehicle Company. The company pursued a distinctly lightweight approach to electric mobility, combining aluminum chassis technology with molded thermoplastic bodies and compact electric drivetrains. Its early prototypes were intended for urban transport rather than conventional long-distance motoring, reflecting the practical constraints of the battery technology available at the time. Pivco's PIV2 prototype gained public exposure during the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games, where ten of fifteen completed prototypes were used. The PIV3 followed in 1995 under the City Bee name, later marketed as Citi in the United States. One hundred twenty examples were produced, including vehicles deployed in the San Francisco Bay Area Station Car Demonstration project. These programs positioned the company as an early participant in the emerging electric-vehicle demonstration ecosystem. The first model intended as a true production vehicle was the PIV4, later branded TH!NK. Lotus Cars provided development consultancy, while the vehicle retained the company's lightweight construction philosophy. It was designed as a small urban car with a claimed range of about 85 kilometers under the then-applicable test cycle and a maximum speed of approximately 90 kilometers per hour. Development consumed more resources than anticipated, leaving Pivco short of capital when the production design was completed in 1999. Ford Motor Company subsequently acquired a controlling interest and brought the vehicle into production as the Ford TH!NK City. Ford also extended the TH!NK name to electric bicycles and neighborhood or golf-cart vehicles, including the TH!NK Neighbor and TH!NK Bike models. Ford ended its involvement in the TH!NK business in early 2003, after producing roughly 1,005 City vehicles. The company was sold to KamKorp, associated with Indian businessman Kamal Siddiqi, but the planned successor to the City was halted. The remaining vehicles became closely associated with electric-vehicle demonstration schemes in the United States and with Norway's supportive operating environment, where electric cars benefited from incentives such as tax advantages, free or reduced-cost parking, toll exemptions and access to bus lanes during the period described by contemporary accounts. Think's ownership and corporate structure changed again in 2006, when Think Nordic was acquired by the Norwegian investment group InSpire and renamed THINK Global. The reorganized company developed a redesigned TH!NK City and explored additional concepts, including the open-bodied TH!NK open and the five-seat TH!NK Ox. A proposed battery relationship with Tesla Motors ended in 2007, but the assembly line restarted later that year. In 2008, General Electric, A123 Systems and THINK announced a partnership intended to support wider electrification, with A123 supplying lithium-ion battery technology. Production also expanded through Valmet Automotive in Finland. The company repeatedly faced financing difficulties. Vehicle production was suspended in December 2008 and approximately half of the workforce was laid off while management sought working capital. A bridge loan announced in January 2009 and a larger recapitalization later that year allowed operations and manufacturing to resume. Valmet began producing the TH!NK City in Uusikaupunki, Finland, in December 2009. THINK also pursued a North American manufacturing strategy in Elkhart, Indiana, and delivered an initial fleet of fifteen American-built, lithium-ion City cars to the State of Indiana in December 2010. Production of the TH!NK City stopped in March 2011. Think Global filed for bankruptcy protection on June 22, 2011, reportedly its fourth bankruptcy or receivership event in two decades. Electric Mobility Solutions AS acquired the company's assets in July 2011 and announced plans to restart production, but manufacturing ultimately ceased in August 2012. No subsequent production program was announced, leaving Think Global as a defunct but historically notable early electric-car manufacturer.

Think Global originated in Bærum in January 1991 as Pivco, a company established to develop practical small electric vehicles. Its early engineering centered on an aluminum chassis and a one-piece rotomolded polyethylene body. The PIV2 prototype used nickel-cadmium batteries and a three-phase AC induction motor driving the front wheels. Ten examples were completed in time for the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games, giving the young company an important public demonstration opportunity. The PIV3, known as the City Bee and as Citi in the United States, followed in 1995. One hundred twenty were built, with forty participating in a San Francisco Bay Area station-car demonstration between 1995 and 1998. Pivco then developed the PIV4, later called TH!NK, with Lotus Cars serving as a consultant. The production design preserved the lightweight concept but added a plastic roof and steel lower-frame elements. Its development took longer and cost more than expected, and the company ran out of money before production could begin. Ford Motor Company acquired a controlling 51 percent interest and launched production of the TH!NK City. Under Ford, TH!NK became a broader electric-mobility marque that also covered neighborhood vehicles, electric bicycles and golf-oriented products. Ford's electric-vehicle demonstration activity placed City cars with public agencies, companies and customers in several U.S. states. Production ended in 2002 after approximately 1,005 City cars had been made. Ford withdrew from the business on January 31, 2003, and sold it to KamKorp. A proposed successor to the City was halted, while many used vehicles were returned or exported to Norway. The company later worked on the TH!NK public, a small electric bus intended for inner-city rental use. Prototypes existed by early 2006, but the business entered receivership. At the end of March 2006, InSpire acquired Think Nordic. The company was renamed THINK Global and began promoting a redesigned TH!NK City, alongside exploratory concepts such as an open-bodied version and the five-seat TH!NK Ox. Battery supply and financing remained central challenges. Tesla Motors announced a proposed lithium-ion battery-system agreement in May 2007 but withdrew in November. THINK restarted its assembly line late in 2007. In March 2008, General Electric, A123 Systems and THINK announced a partnership involving investment, battery supply and electrification development. THINK introduced the City in the United Kingdom that year and later used Valmet Automotive in Finland for production. In December 2008, the company halted vehicle production and laid off half its workforce while seeking working capital. A bridge loan announced in January 2009 helped preserve operations. In August, THINK announced a recapitalization involving battery maker EnerDel, venture investors, Valmet Automotive and Investinor, enabling it to leave court protection. Valmet began production in Finland in December 2009. THINK also planned North American production in Indiana and delivered fifteen Indiana-built lithium-ion City cars to the state government in December 2010. The TH!NK City program ended in 2011. Production stopped in March and Think Global filed for bankruptcy on June 22. Electric Mobility Solutions AS acquired the assets in July and stated that production could resume with a refined City, but manufacturing ceased in August 2012. No later production restart was announced.

• 2012

  Production ends permanently

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  Manufacturing ceases after Electric Mobility Solutions' attempted restart.

• 2011

  Bankruptcy filing

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  Think Global files for bankruptcy after production stops.

• 2009

  Valmet begins City assembly

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  Production of the TH!NK City starts at Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki, Finland.

• 2008

  TH!NK Ox is unveiled

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  A five-seat electric concept is presented at the Geneva Motor Show.

• 2006

  Think Nordic becomes THINK Global

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  InSpire acquires the business after receivership and changes its name.

• 1999

  Ford acquires control

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  After development costs exhaust Pivco's finances, Ford acquires a controlling stake and supports production of the TH!NK City.

• 1995

  City Bee is introduced

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  The PIV3 City Bee becomes the first substantial small-scale production vehicle in the company's history.

• 1994

  PIV2 appears at the Lillehammer Olympics

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  Ten PIV2 prototypes are used during the Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer.

• 1991

  Pivco is founded

  [1]Think Globalen.wikipedia.org

  The Norwegian Personal Independent Vehicle Company is established in Bærum to develop compact electric vehicles.

Early urban electric mobility focused on compact, lightweight, highway-capable and fleet-oriented vehicles.

• Electric city car · 1999

  TH!NK City

  The TH!NK City was the company's principal highway-capable electric car. Depending on version, it was configured as a two-seat or 2+2-seat compact vehicle, with a reported top speed of up to 110 km/h and a range of approximately 160 km under stated test conditions. It was offered with either Zebra sodium batteries or lithium-ion batteries. The model was produced in Norway and later at Valmet Automotive in Finland, and it became one of the early modern electric cars to receive highway certification and crash testing.

• Neighborhood electric vehicle · 2002

  TH!NK Neighbor

  The TH!NK Neighbor was developed under Ford's TH!NK program and was distinct from the highway-oriented City. It was offered in two-seat, four-seat and utility-truck configurations, with a normal governed speed of 25 mph and a slower turf mode for golf-course operation. Equipment could include golf-bag, scorecard and club-washing accessories, while the four-seat version could be fitted with a trunk or cooler-oriented storage option.

• Electric bicycle

  TH!NK Bike

  Ford marketed electric-powered bicycles under the TH!NK name during its ownership of the business. The documented line included the TH!NK Bike Traveler and TH!NK Bike Fun. These products broadened the brand beyond cars and reflected Ford's attempt to present TH!NK as an urban electric-mobility portfolio rather than a single vehicle program.

• Electric vehicle concept · 2008

  TH!NK Ox

  The TH!NK Ox was a five-seat electric concept shown at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show. It was presented as a larger and faster vehicle than the City, with a proposed top speed around 130 km/h and a 100 kW motor. It remained a concept and did not enter documented series production.

• Electric vehicle concept

  TH!NK open

  TH!NK open was a roofless three-door, two-seat concept based on the company's compact electric-car direction. Published specifications described a maximum speed of about 100 km/h and multiple range estimates that varied with test method, tires, heating use and weather. The company displayed the vehicle as a design and technology study rather than a confirmed production model.

• Electric microbus concept · 2004

  TH!NK public

  TH!NK public was conceived as a very small electric bus for inner-city travel and a rental-based mobility service. Prototypes had been developed by February 2006, but the project did not reach established production before the company entered receivership and changed ownership.

• 2003Greenpeace vehicle-preservation campaign

  Norway · United States

  Greenpeace and other environmental campaigners opposed Ford's plan to crush surplus off-lease TH!NK City cars in the United States.

  Outcome. Following protests, including a rally at Ford's Norway offices, Ford shipped the vehicles to Norway instead of destroying them.

  Source
• 2001TH!NK City Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program

  United States

  Ford and public-sector and commercial partners placed TH!NK City vehicles with users in California, New York, Georgia and other locations, including Hertz-related operations.

  Outcome. The multistage program assigned 376 vehicles, monitored field operation and returned or processed the fleet by 2005.

  Source
• 1995San Francisco Bay Area Station Car Demonstration

  United States

  Forty City Bee vehicles participated in a station-car demonstration designed to connect public-transport users with nearby destinations.

  Outcome. The program generated operating experience for small electric vehicles in an American urban setting.

  Source
• 1994Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games deployment

  Norway

  PIV2 prototypes were used around the Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games, providing an early public demonstration of Pivco's compact electric-vehicle concept.

  Outcome. The deployment raised the visibility of the young Norwegian electric-vehicle developer and informed subsequent vehicle development.

  Source

• 2011

  Think Global files for bankruptcyOther

  Background

  The TH!NK City program had stopped production in March after repeated funding and manufacturing difficulties.

  Action taken

  Think Global filed for bankruptcy on June 22.

  Aftermath

  Electric Mobility Solutions acquired the assets, but its proposed production restart did not become a continuing manufacturing operation.

  Source

• 2009

  THINK completes recapitalizationStrategy

  Background

  Production had been suspended and the company had entered severe financial distress in late 2008.

  Action taken

  Existing and new investors recapitalized THINK, enabling it to leave court protection and resume operations.

  Aftermath

  Manufacturing resumed through Valmet Automotive in Finland, but the company remained financially fragile.

  Recapitalization. US$47 million announced (August 27, 2009)

  Source

• 2008

  THINK forms battery and electrification partnershipStrategy

  Background

  THINK needed technology and capital to restart production and move toward lithium-ion-powered vehicles.

  Action taken

  THINK announced a partnership with General Electric and A123 Systems involving investment, battery supply and electrification development.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement supported the company's effort to restart and expand production, although financial pressure continued.

  Announced investments. GE announced a US$4 million investment in THINK and US$20 million in A123 Systems (March 5, 2008 announcement)

  Source

• 2006

  InSpire acquires Think NordicM&A

  Background

  The business entered receivership while developing the TH!NK public microbus.

  Action taken

  InSpire acquired the company and renamed it THINK Global.

  Aftermath

  The reorganized company promoted a redesigned City and explored new vehicle concepts.

  Source

• 2003

  Ford exits the TH!NK businessStrategy

  Background

  Ford had supported production and demonstration programs but withdrew after producing about 1,005 City vehicles.

  Action taken

  Ford sold the resulting business to KamKorp and halted development of a planned City successor.

  Aftermath

  The remaining vehicles were used or re-exported, particularly to Norway, while the company underwent another ownership transition.

  Source

1. 1Think Globalen.wikipedia.org