Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have tossed quite a bit of money at Tesla Motors, but they did so as private individuals. Now there’s word that Google itself could get behind another automotive effort.
Don’t get too excited; the focus of these rumors, a vehicle dubbed the Think, is nowhere near as sexy as the Tesla Roadster, and as admitted by the Think’s official website, its top speed is under 65 mph. The Think is not, by any stretch of the imagination, an electric Ferrari. It’s not even an electric Hyundai. But the Think would fall in line with the sort of environmentally sound thinking that Google supports.
According to Pandia, Dean Kamen (of Segway sorta-fame) “would like to use the Th!nk as a mobile generator that can draw energy from the power grid when needed and send electricity back during periods of peak demand . . .”
Now, nothing’s decided yet, but “[f]or that to happen he needs a partner that can handle large amounts of data over global networks. The most obvious choice for that kind work is, of course, Google.” And Google actually had the Think people over for a little sit-down.
I can’t get too excited about this little vehicle, but, even as a car guy, I’ve got no objections to seeing it enter the market. I’d even be interested in seeing Google support the Think - that could bring those electric Ferraris here all the sooner.
Steve, I've been researching the Think car and love the idea. I just bought a Chevy Aveo to reduce my emmissions and raise my MPG........do you have any pictures of the Think ? There are very few on the internet.............any new info would be great as I want to go electric in the worst way...........
thanks mike haverty in michigan........
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Consider me excited...
I was one of the lucky few who had a previous model Th!nk City in California. I had a 30 month lease and was very sorry to see it go. (I have to wonder whether or not Ford is kicking themselves now...) Is it a sports car? No - it's a great general purpose car that doesn't pollute the environment. We charged ours from the solar panels on the roof of our house - and I didn't need to charge it everyday. Even if you don't charge an electric car with clean electricity, it's still responsible for less pollution than a gas car. I drove it on the freeway and it was fine, although on the slow side. It cost pennies a mile to drive and had almost zero maintenance. I'm looking forward to the new cars and my name is already on the waiting list. The new model will have more range and a higher top speed. Those were the main short comings of the previous model.
Steve Lillo
former (and future) Th!nk City driver