The Smart EV: Coming Soon to the Public?
by Treehugger Interns on 10. 7.06
OK, so electric cars aren’t a panacea for all the ills of car culture, but they are certainly a step in the right direction. They are more efficient than their fossil-fuel powered counterparts, they release no emissions whilst being driven, and they have the potential to be supplied by renewable energy sources. We previously reported here on the launch of an all-electric version of the tiny little Smart car that is already so common in European cities in its petrol-driven version. Anyone hoping to drive the Smart EV anytime soon will have been disappointed by the fact that only 200 of the things are initially going to be released, and then only to commercial fleets. However, there is a glimmer of hope for the rest of us. The Smart website now boasts a section on the Smart EV and there are some tantalising hints that they are planning a release to the general public some time in the future:
Although the smart ev won’t be available to the public just yet, it’s definitely something we’re working on. What’s more, towards the end of 2006, some London-based smart owners will be able to try it out as a courtesy car when they bring their current smart in for service. We’ll be interested to hear what you think.
Whilst there’s no timetable set out for a more general release, the website does have a form to register your interest. Now if enough people were to put their name down to receive updates, perhaps this would send a message to the manufacturers that there is a genuine market out there. We can but hope. As an aside, it’s nice to see that Smart will only lease the first batch of cars to companies who agree to buy 100% green power for them: “When we say zero emissions, we really mean it!”
Meanwhile Going Green, the London-based electric car dealership we reported on here, here and here, is looking for owner’s of their G-Wiz (or Reva) to act as demonstrators – taking potential customers for a test-drive and sharing their experiences. I quite like the idea of being taken for a test drive by someone who actually owns one of these cars themselves - beats the usual slick sales-drive. Hopefully, as more and more people get first-hand experience of electric vehicles, and they realise that they are a viable alternative to petrol powered cars right now, the pressure will build on manufacturers to make more models available. Let's just hope that as electric cars become a more common sight on our roads, as it looks like they are doing, they replace other cars rather than coaxing people off public transport and/or bicycles.
[Written by: Sami Grover]
70/70 on speed and mileage. If that is accurate and dependable Smart needs to bring this to the American consumer
Nifty. If I had one of these I would show it off everywhere i go.
i'm so sick of "coming soon"
Those have to be in the top ten ugliest cars ever list.
Let me see what that car looks like after being hit head on by a truck.....This car better have a freakin titanium roll cage...since the crumple zone is probably 2-3 inches. lol
actually the car performs amazing well in crashes. watch the video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s
This is an admirable effort but as 'adolfo' put it "coming soon" is doing nothing to help eliminate further emission. I do not really like the idea of incremental environmental management (non-alarmist langauge used here as alarmism does not actually solve the problem). In the interim before a permanent solution we ought to be driving the most efficient vehicles possible, hybrids for one and bikes when feasible (not so in winter with temperatures well below zero does not apply in Florida).
A must see film:
"Who Killed The Electric Car?"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489037/
GM had a perfect electic car back in '96. 70+ miles per charge and fantastic looking+handling+speed too.
small != unsafe
Trivia fact: the smart was originally designed as an EV.
David, one could argue that big = unsafe for everyone else. Everytime someone chooses an inappropriately oversized vehicle, it makes the roads that much more dangerous for those of us who walk, cycle, or drive smaller cars.
And as Rob pointed out, the crash test results tend to suggest that the Smart does just fine when hit by someone else's Hummer anyway.
Sami, big DOES = safe, except for those in smaller cars. For those who walk or cycle, getting hit by a 1500lb car or a 4000lb car would have the same effect. And even if everyone drove small cars, they'd still be at a disadvantage wrt trees, abutments, semis, etc., and even each other.
Regarding those Smart crash tests, the passenger compartment may have held up but the passengers might have died due to high g forces.
You seem to think that the only kind of accidents are head on collisions; big vehicles take longer to brake, can't take turns as fast, block the visibility of those behind and often blind those in front. When they hit immovable objects (trees, telephone poles, walls) the shock is the equivalent of hitting a vehicle of the same size. 4x4 drive gives a false sense of security (it helps with acceleration in slippery conditions, but does NOTHING to help the vehicle brake). Rollovers are more frequent too, etc, etc. Also, weight doesn't not equal strength. If that was the case, bike helments would be made out of steel, not carbon fiber, and F1 drivers wouldn't drive into walls with ultra-light and small cars at 150 mph and limp away with a twisted ankle..
You have more chances of being in an accident in the first place in a big vehicle, and as older used SUVs get cheaper and in the hands of young drivers (with failing brakes and decrepit mechanical conditions), they'll make roads more dangerous for everybody.
For those who walk or cycle, getting hit by a 1500lb car or a 4000lb car would have the same effect.
I'm no road safety expert, but this seems counter-intuitive to me. You might want to take a look at the following article from the Sunday Herald: "4x4s More Than Twice as Deadly for Pedestrians" - http://www.sundayherald.com/38681
Sami, I think a big part of the reason for that is the shape of the front end of big vehicles.
Sami, I think a big part of the reason for that is the shape of the front end of big vehicles.
Moreover Smart's front end is "pedestrian friendly", that is if you hit somebody in a Smart they will have less chances to die than from an SUV (Hummer that runs over and then backs over again to check if the guy's really dead). I own a Smart and I have waited for the EV for a long time now.
I have seen "Who Killed The Electric Car", this seems awfully similar to the story of EV1, BUT now they have competitors (Tesla Motors, Obvio... probably others), so while they do their "trial market" let's hope somebody will come up with a cheap light battery that holds more power and has faster recharging time.
is this one of those "neighborhood electric vehicles" that are only allowed to go on streets designated as 35 mph or less?
--
editor note: No.
I have to do an assingment on smartcars for school...I'm almost done...I'l share it with you!!
~Alice
hey smiles are good. im also doing some research on the smartcar i would love to see your work that you have done for it. trying to convince my parents they need one. oneovakynd@aol.com thanks
i just got back from rome, italy and before that i was in athens greece. These smart cars are all over the place there. along with scooters and bicycles
I have been thoroughly convinced that the US intentionally put itself in a bad spot.
We have all the necessary technology NOW to make zero emission and super fuel efficient vehicles.
We are paying the price for not questioning our leaders and demanding these vehicles long ago
Unfortunately it seems again that economics, rather than intelligent foward thinking, might finally bring these types of vehicles to fruition.
it is really difficult to get these cars popular when people live 20+ miles from work and we lack a convenient mass transit system
.
So I was just wondering... for plug in vehicles, it's all and good for people with their own private garages if they need to charge it at night, how would people who live in appartments/condos etc; those without private garages re-charge?
"actually the car performs amazing well in crashes. watch the video at:"
yea cepts its not realistic. suvs ride higher. the impact zone is not an even surface of concrete perfect for hitting the smarts bumper first. even with the sedan you could see with the momentum the smart started moving backwards while the benz continued forward. you don't need intrusion into the passenger zone, that kind of impact energy would cause serious injuries. basically the smart is a crumple zone for other vehicles:P good for them, bad for you.
I was in traffic once, driving my Smart and I could see for 4 blocks ahead, and when the lights changed the traffic would serge ahead. But the lights turned red and when the traffic came to a stop, a car 3 cars ahead of mine could not see over the minivan in front of them and slammed into the back of it. As my Smart rides higher, I could see over all of them and could act in time not to have to rely on the break lights of the car in front of me. Smart cars can stop, and doge things other cars can not. As long as you pay attention to the flow of traffic around you, you will be fine. It's called defensive driving, just know where all the cars are around you at all times.
I love my Smart, but would happily upgrade to a Smart ED if they became available tomorrow.
I would like to ask TreeHugger to revive this topic in a new article because we are now in 2008, worse than ever fuel-wise and another electric car project that worked, got the public's attention and was viable just got MURDERED in the name of green PR guilt washing.
I thought that in EU the pressure of car and oil companies that commands the US would be milder.
I am so naive...
With prices now where they are for a gallon of petrol in the UK, I sure would like to buy one of these or something like it. Really dont get why there is still pretty much nothing around for the public to buy.