Electric Car Headed to US

An electric car that is emissions-free and can travel up to 110 miles on a single charge is coming to the US.

Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is joining with another clean-technology-focused venture capital firm and a Norwegian company to bring electric cars to the US.

The 95% recyclable car, called the Think City, has a maximum speed of 65 miles an hour and will be priced below $25,000. Plans are to launch in the US in 2009.

The company is negotiating with U.S. utility companies on potential tie-ups that could involve setting up "fueling stations" to charge the cars, following similar models in Europe, the executives said. The City's battery now takes about three hours to recharge if plugged in daily, or eight hours if the battery is drained.

Now made in Norway, the Think City — about the size of a Toyota Yaris or Honda Fit — runs on sodium or lithium batteries.

Ray Lane, a Kleiner managing partner and chairman of Think North America, said the company hopes to sell 30,000 to 50,000 cars a year within a couple of years. The vehicle would be a viable alternative for the average American who commutes 30 miles a day.

"It's the only electric vehicle we're aware of ready for mass production and scale up because it's been crash-tested in European and U.S. markets," he said.