Klimabil 2008

Cobos · 04-26-2008, 08:34 AM

I just came home from the EV event here in Oslo I might have mentioned earlier here somewhere. It's called Klimabil 2008 which translates to climatecar 2008. An event organized by ZERO an enviromental organization here in Norway, and it's an event for climate neutral cars. It had an EV race and some political speaches, some music events and booths for different producers of climate neutral cars. They had EV companies, flexfuel companies and a hydrogen booth. I am completely uninterested in biofuel cars so I skipped the Volvo, SAAB and Renault booths. Also the Scania booth for flexifuel busses.
I did take some pictures, unfortunately I forgot my camera so I only had my cellphone which you can clearly see in the quality (or lack thereof).

I talked to a nice person at the Think booth, which seems to be a PR person now working as effective webmaster of their webpage. She told me the Think Ox is not officially a car they are going to build but the response they got and especially Think NA want this car so it's a very good chance it will be built. She assumed 2011-2012 at the earliest for the Ox.
She also told me they have a wierd bug with their PSU unit in the Think City cars which is why their production isn't up to speed yet. After what she said a very few cars has issues with the response from the brakes and accelerator pedals is not 100% (I think what she calls PSU is what Tesla calls PEM). She mentioned that the City she has been using herself since August last year did not show any sign of this so it seems it only matters for a very few cars. She did say they wont start proper production until August though when they expect to make 50 cars and then pretty fast rampup towards full capacity. They are also looking at producing the car in other countries as well. The last thing she mentioned was that of the around 600 preorders they got even with the delay until August almost noone has cancelled their order.

Just a few tips regarding the galleries, the image names should explain what you see, but please ask if there are any other questions.
Inga Marthe Thorkildsen is a member of parliament for socialist leftparty which is currently ruling in a coalition with the labour party and farmers party. Peter Gitmark is a member of the conservative party and in opposition. Both the politicians sit in the comitee for energy and enviromental matters in parliament.
NAF (Norges Automobil Forbund) is our version of AAA.
Gallery
Official Event home page

Cobos

Cobos · 04-26-2008, 09:47 AM

Just thought I'd do a follow-up. One of the things Inga Marthe Thorkildsen said at her speech that seems to have caught all major media in Norway is she suggests forbidding any new car that can not use climate neutral fuel. Since in this regard any flexfuel car would qualify as well as any hybrid or EV. I can't really see this as a big problem, considering the tweaking they are likely to do to our pigouvian taxes on cars. At 2015 any old-tech pure gasoline or diesel car would be so expensive you wouldn't find any buyers anyway....

Norwegian largest newspaper has an article in Norwegian about this.

Cobos

DDB · 04-27-2008, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cobos

I just came home from the EV event here in Oslo I might have mentioned earlier here somewhere. It's called Klimabil 2008 which translates to climatecar 2008. An event organized by ZERO an enviromental organization here in Norway, and it's an event for climate neutral cars. It had an EV race and some political speaches, some music events and booths for different producers of climate neutral cars. They had EV companies, flexfuel companies and a hydrogen booth. I am completely uninterested in biofuel cars so I skipped the Volvo, SAAB and Renault booths. Also the Scania booth for flexifuel busses.
I did take some pictures, unfortunately I forgot my camera so I only had my cellphone which you can clearly see in the quality (or lack thereof).

I talked to a nice person at the Think booth, which seems to be a PR person now working as effective webmaster of their webpage. She told me the Think Ox is not officially a car they are going to build but the response they got and especially Think NA want this car so it's a very good chance it will be built. She assumed 2011-2012 at the earliest for the Ox.
She also told me they have a wierd bug with their PSU unit in the Think City cars which is why their production isn't up to speed yet. After what she said a very few cars has issues with the response from the brakes and accelerator pedals is not 100% (I think what she calls PSU is what Tesla calls PEM). She mentioned that the City she has been using herself since August last year did not show any sign of this so it seems it only matters for a very few cars. She did say they wont start proper production until August though when they expect to make 50 cars and then pretty fast rampup towards full capacity. They are also looking at producing the car in other countries as well. The last thing she mentioned was that of the around 600 preorders they got even with the delay until August almost noone has cancelled their order.

Just a few tips regarding the galleries, the image names should explain what you see, but please ask if there are any other questions.
Inga Marthe Thorkildsen is a member of parliament for socialist leftparty which is currently ruling in a coalition with the labour party and farmers party. Peter Gitmark is a member of the conservative party and in opposition. Both the politicians sit in the comitee for energy and enviromental matters in parliament.
NAF (Norges Automobil Forbund) is our version of AAA.
Gallery
Official Event home page

Cobos

Great info Cobos; thanks. IMO Th!nk needs to produce the Ox if they're ever going to penetrate the North American market. The specs of the City just don't cut it for all the freeways here.

So no word on the Volvo Recharge?

Cobos · 04-27-2008, 07:43 AM

I agree that the Think City is a highway capable not a highway comfortable car. And they do intend to sell it to people that have another car as well. I got the distinct feeling that the Ox will arrive. Considering what should be available in 2012 I'm not sure if that is fast enough, but we'll see I suppose.
I completely forgot to ask aboutthe recharge as I dismissed the flexifuel booths completely :)
Thanks for the friendly words, I hope this turns into an interesting event each year. In 2009 hopefully Tesla will be there as well with a Whitestar mockup :)

Cobos