Think City will cost $34,000 before incentives

By mid-2011, the Think City all electric vehicle will be available for sale in the U.S. for $34,000, before incentives. That's what Michael Lock, the company's new chief marketing officer, has told Plugin Cars. The Norwegian company plans to sell between 2,000 to 3,000 of the plastic electric vehicles in three to five stores, most likely to be located in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Washington, DC and Indianapolis, near the car's U.S. assembly plant. The two-seat vehicle will have a 100-mile range. Two features of the City are perfect for city driving: a large glass rear door for excellent visibility while parking and reversing and the ding- and scratch-resistant plastic panel body.

Think is very clear on the target markets for the City. The company does not plan on competing with other major auto manufacturers nor on selling the City as a replacement for regular gas vehicles. In fact, it believes that the car will most likely be a family's second or third vehicle. Thus, the focus is on positioning it as an eco-friendly alternative for urbanites living in environmentally conscious cities to drive around town. According to Lock:

We see ourselves as an urban city car specialist. We are not insisting this is a straight replacement for everybody for their internal combustion engine car. It's not the car that you want to do 200 miles in a day on. This is a car that's short, light, compact, easy-to-drive, has a 100-mile range, and in cities where there is congestion and infrastructure for charging, our car makes a lot of sense.

And a pile of dollars, too.

[Source: Plugin Cars]