Norwegian car manufacturer Think Global has plans to bring the electric 2-door Th!nk city to this country in 2009.

With the cost of gas continuing to rise and concerns about the environment weighing on the public's mind, Norwegian car manufacturer Think Global has decided it's time to enter the North American market with its electric-powered vehicles.

Th!nk will most likely enter the market with its subcompact city model. The Th!nk city is an electric-only coupe that the company claims will run for up to 110 miles on a single battery charge, and has a top speed of 63 miles per hour. It uses sodium battery technology. More efficient lithium-ion battery systems may be made available. The city comes standard as a two-passenger model; a rear pop-up kid-sized backseat is optional. Other models, such as the two-seat convertible Cabrio and the 4-door, five-passenger Ox, may follow the city to the U.S., depending on its success.

Th!nk city will come standard with ABS, power windows and mirrors, power steering, and regenerative brakes. Available features will include air conditioning, a timer that allows the vehicle to be preheated, a heated windshield, a sunroof, a navigation/multimedia system, alloy wheels, a roof rack, winter tires, a CD player with available MP3 capability and wireless connectivity, a USB port, and the aforementioned rear seat.

On sale now in parts of Europe, city is similar in size to a Mini Cooper, and while pricing has not yet been announced, company officials say it should base just under the hybrid Toyota Prius. That means it should start somewhere between $20,000 and $25,000. Th!nk expects to have the city on sale in the U.S. in 2009.

Th!nk promises some innovations beyond the novelty of electric power. According to company spokeswoman Vicki Northrup, the city will be equipped with a system that allows drivers to monitor the state of the battery charge, as well as direct them to the nearest charging station. The city will send an e-mail to its driver if there are any problems, and the city can even send unused electric power back into the local power grid. The charger can be instructed to not begin charging until after a pre-set time, usually when electric rates drop during off-peak hours. Customers may also be able to lease the car's batteries for a monthly fee. In that scenario, Th!nk will actually own the batteries and take care of any necessary maintenance, as well as insurance.

Think Global owns 50 percent of Th!nk North America, which it bought from KamKorp, a Swiss manufacturer of electric vehicles. KamKorp purchased Th!nk from Ford Motor Company in 2003.

Th!nk city has a range of about 110 miles on a single battery charge.