Safety

The THINK City is a safe vehicle to drive both in cities and on highways, as proven by its conformance with the CE-marking criteria and EU homologation requirements (M1 certificate) – in fact, it is the first EV ever to be awarded a pan-European homologation certificate.


To become the first EV ever to achieve these exacting standards, the THINK City has been put through extensive testing and validation, including hundreds of computer simulations and correlations, over 50 sled tests and more than 20 real crash tests.

Comprehensive electrical testing and validation has also been conducted over extended periods, including 30cm deep water wading and total submergence in salt water with all electrical systems activated.

 

THINK City structural design safety attributes:

 

Main space-frame:

  • Energy absorbing front crash rail
  • High tensile steel throughout
  • Robotically welded

Interior:

  • State of the art seatbelt system
  • Seat belt pretensioners
  • Seat belt load limiters
  • Dual airbags
  • Energy absorbing foam surrounding occupants
  • IsoFix child restrains system
  • Passenger Airbag OFF switch
  • Intertia OFF switch that cuts off all power in event of an accident

Upper space-frame:

  • High performance aluminium profiles
  • Roof crush / rollover protection

Door frame:

  • Ultra high tensile side impact beam

The key to a safe car is a structure that ensures good crash performance. The backbone of the THINK City is a strong lower frame made of high tensile steel, this frame carries all the suspension and crash loads and is designed with a stiff passenger compartment and deformable zones in the front and rear.

An extended aluminium space frame is mounted to the lower frame, with thermoplastic body panels and all other components attached to it in turn for maximum cockpit robustness.

Internally, the City boasts dual airbags and a state-of-the-art seatbelt system, and carefully selected high density expanded polypropylene materials are used for the dashboard, knee bolster, door panel trims as well as inlays for head protection in the headlining and the pillar trims to provide maximum passenger safety in the event of a collision.

The door panel energy absorbing foam includes a pusher block function, where occupants are pushed out of a possible crash zone. Lower pillar trim is specially designed to protect lower ribs in event of a side impact.

All of our testing and development has been conducted in close conjunction with a number of specialist safety partners, including Autoliv, Bosch Germany, British Steel Automotive Engineering Group UK, Lotus Engineering UK, Ford Motor Company UK, TNO / TASS Netherlands and Tecosim UK.