Modern electric vehicles remain imperfect, with high prices, unresolved software issues, and some models lacking desired range and charging convenience. The Th!nk City began when a Norwegian plastics company attempted car production, went bankrupt, was acquired by Ford, and later sold and shuttered, yet hundreds of vehicles were produced. One Norway-built variant used a molten-salt sodium battery that required roughly 572°F (300°C) to function and relied on its onboard charger to heat the pack, rendering the car unusable once it cooled. A surviving example uses a 23-kWh lithium pack originally rated near 100 miles but has suffered heavy degradation after 80,000 miles, losing most useful capacity. The car exemplifies early EV compromises, including a slow 3.3 kW onboard charger that produces roughly 70 decibels.
The weirdest was a Norway-built version that used a "molten salt" sodium battery, which had to be above 572 degrees Fahrenheit (300 degrees Celsius) to function. Its onboard charger would heat up the battery when plugged in, and you'd only be able to drive until it cooled off. Once below that temperature, the whole car would be bricked, and you'd have to tow it home and give it hours to warm up. It's no wonder that idea never went anywhere.
The one Dunn bought, however, uses a more conventional lithium battery. It's a 23-kWh unit that was supposedly good for up to 100 miles when new. But after 80,000 miles of degradation, Dunn now says his car loses 60-70% of its battery just cover the 25-mile round trip drive into town. It's hardly a practical car, but it's an interesting one.
Collection
[
|
...
]