Electric cars (Pictured: Smart Electric Drive)

The Smart Electric Drive car will officially go on sale in Boston May 13 for $25,000, before any federal or state tax credits. A spokesperson for the automaker pointed out that pre-orders are brisk. Smart’s closest competitor in the segment is Nissan’s Leaf, which has recently cut its base price to $29,650 and now offers leases at just $199 per month. Hoping to outdo rivals like the Leaf, Fiat, and Chevy’s Spark EV, Smart is headlining its low price and wide geographic availability. While Chevy and other EV makers typically sell their cars in California and Oregon at first, Smart will be in showrooms all over the U.S. by the end of the summer.

Smart EV: Video

Spend a minute watching the video clip above for a very fast review of the Smart Electric Drive. The Canadian tester likes the car’s acceleration, look and convenience. The sparse interior is well planned to make the best use of what could be a cramped area. In fact, after viewing the Smart ED from the outside, the inside has a surprisingly roomy look. The Smart was originally intended to be an electric vehicle, and the newest iteration of the car appears to have done things exactly right. The size and feel of the Smart ED is so different, one really needs to go for a test drive to understand what all the hoopla is about. Several industry analysts believe this is the electric car that will catch the public’s imagination, given a year or two of market exposure.

Smart Electric Drive

To visit the source of all information about the Smart Electric Drive automobile, visit the company’s official page for the car. While on the site, you can download a brochure, pre-register for ownership, read extensive articles about the Smart ED’s features, view a huge photo gallery, and even find a dealer. As vehicle websites go, this one truly covers all the bases.
http://www.smartusa.com/models/electric-drive/overview.aspx

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Smart Fortwo Electric Drive

Smart has announced that its electric Fortwo will be available in both cabriolet and hatch versions in U.S. showrooms this year. The small EV, officially called Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, can reach 60 mph in about 13 seconds, will carry a sticker price of around $25,000, and offer a per-charge range of approximately 80 miles. When it arrives in U.S. dealerships, the car will be the sole electric convertible available for retail sale in America. It features a combined 107 mpg-e and is expected to go on sale in the U.S. sometime in April.

Smart Fortwo EV: Video

The video clip above shows the Smart Electric Drive in action, doing a few maneuvers that are rather unexpected for the diminutive EV. The tiny vehicle’s ability to accelerate from a standstill is impressive, as the film abundantly displays.
First versions of the current Smart Electric Drive began development in 2006. By 2009, Car2Go was leasing the EVs in nearly 20 worldwide markets. Smart’s lithium-ion battery pack is made by Tesla Motors. The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show was the location for the modern version’s debut. The Smart Electric Drive now offers quick-charge and an 87-mile range.

Smart Fortwo

The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive car has an unusual history, having first been the idea of a company that was better known for making watches. Now a branch of Daimler AG, the early years of the vehicle’s development were overseen by Volkswagen and the company which made Swatch fashion watches. By 1993, Volkswagen decided to get out of the deal and instead focus on developing its own tiny gas-miser. One year later, Mercedes-Benz took up where Volkswagen left off. Officially, the new Smart is a product of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz Cars division.

For more information about the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, see the company’s official website:
http://www.smartusa.com

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Smart Fourstar

Does the Smart Forstars concept at the 2012 Paris Motor Show give a hint at future design direction for the Daimler subsidiary’s compact Fortwo two seater? Head of Smart, Dr. Annette Winkler, gave an answer in her press conference speech: “The Smart Forstars offers another glimpse into the future of Smart. Some design details of this car you will find in our upcoming Smart four-seater.”

The Forstars concept provides a different interpretation of the Smart two-seater formula, presenting a more contemporary shape. Comparing the dimensions with the current Fortwo, the Forstars concept is 855 mm (33.7 in) longer, 151 mm (5.9 in) wider, and up to 37 mm (1.5 in) lower. The wheelbase is some 603 mm (23.7 in) longer at 2470 mm (97.2 in). The track is some 193 mm (7.6 in) wider at the front at 1475 mm (58.1 in), remaining the same at the rear, making it 90 mm (3.5 in) wider than the current Fortwo. The Forstars’ main body features are shared with those of the For-us concept seen at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.

Smart refers to the Forstars as a sports utility coupe, with the extra length providing a stowage space behind the seats that is 900 mm (35.4 in) longer than that of the Fortwo. This is accessed through the glass tailgate at the rear, while the lower tailboard can be lowered electrically into a position parallel with the load floor, then retracted by 280 mm (11.0 in), improving access to the cargo area.

Inside, the seat shells incorporate an open section in the center, covered with a fabric throw, which can be switched for a change of color. The open section also allows for loading of long items through the passenger seat with the seat cover removed.

The Forstars name is a reference to the convex glass roof above the seats, potentially providing a nighttime view of the stars. The lighthearted theme is continued by the video projector integrated into the hood. This would be operated via Bluetooth from a smartphone, mounted in a bracket where the rear-view mirror would normally be sited. Using a rear-mounted video camera, the smartphone would double as a rear-view mirror, media source, and control system for the video projector, providing a personal drive-in movie service using a suitable wall. Cinema sound would be provided by speakers concealed in the ventilation openings in the side panels behind the doors.

The rhombic front lights incorporate an “eyebrow” section, and a ring of LEDs around the headlamp provide the indicators and daytime running lamps. The rear lamps echo the rhombic shape of those at the front. Both rear lamps open. One can accommodate a drink can and the other the recharging point for the battery pack.

The Forstars is powered by the same 60-kW electric motor that powers the new Smart Brabus electric drive. The drive motor delivers 135 N·m (100 lb·ft) of torque to propel the car to a claimed top speed of over 130 km/h (81 mph). The lithium-ion battery has a capacity of 17.6 kW·h. Recharging would take up to 7 h from a 230-V domestic socket or 1 h from a rapid charging point.

Nice trailer:

Larry Judkin

Larry Judkin + is My Perfect Automobile’s General Manager, but people call him Lar’. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Co-owner of My Perfect Automobile. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

    

Expendables 2: Electric Drive version of Smart Car

In a movie that looks like it torched over a million gallons of petroleum for special effects, you might not expect to see a highly fuel-efficient vehicle like the Smart Car. While the film’s producers considered using a specially-equipped Jaguar for the scene in question, the new Sylvester Stallone action movie eventually opted for the tiny Smart Car due to its weight. The floor of the airport where the Schwarzenegger/Willis shot was done could not support a heavy vehicle. So, Smart Car to the rescue.

Expendables 2: Video

Watching film legends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis joke about the tiny car is part of what made the film number-one at the box office its opening week.

The short clip above, which has already earned fame as “the Expendables 2 Smart Car scene,” is a viral video hit that is all of 39 seconds in length. Arnold is right, though. His shoes are bigger than the car. Since producer Stallone loves a good gag, look for the return of the Smart Car in Expendables 3, which is set to debut in late 2013 with Nicolas Cage, Harrison Ford, and Wesley Snipes.

Expendables 2: Smart Car Action

Daimler’s designers conceived of the Smart car more than two decades ago, and even then, they envisioned an electric drive-train. The Smart Electric Drive (ED) model is a 100 percent electric vehicle that is virtually identical in design to the combustion versions.

More filmmakers are featuring electric and hybrid vehicles in their productions, notably the Avengers film and the most recent incarnation of Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible series. Automakers pay handsome amounts to get their newest green vehicles in front of millions of moviegoers. In some cases, the cars get as much attention as the actors who drive them.

For more about the Smart Electric Drive and all the other models from Smart Car, see the official website:
http://www.smartusa.com

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…

Simon Cowell: Smart driver

The man with the power to make or break entertainment careers is quite the car enthusiast. Normally, however, Cowell’s tastes run toward high-end sports cars and the occasional Rolls Royce. Simon says his new Smart Car is just the thing for short, gas-saving jaunts around town. So if you see a tiny, black car zooming by, and the driver has the signature smile and funny haircut, it could be Simon Cowell, famous music producer and car collector.

Simon Cowell: American Idle?

Celebrities have always loved their flashy cars. What better way to see and be seen? For a quick tour of some of the world’s biggest names and their rides, have a look at the video clip below. In it, you will perhaps spot Miley Cyrus and her sleek BMW 3 Series. And don’t miss Aston Kutcher’s Lexus 600 hybrid, the ideal ride for a newly single guy!

It seems that Justin Timberlake is ecstatic over the Audi Q7, while Arnold Schwarzenegger is terminally in love with his Doge Challenger SRT. Eddie Murphy tools around Tinsel Town in a Rolls Royce Phantom, while Brad Pitt, aka Mr. Angelina Jolie, keeps things simple with his Chevy Camaro SS.

Simon Cowell: Car Collection

To appreciate the irony of Simon Cowell driving a Smart Car, you need to see a list of the other vehicles the mega-celeb owns. Here is a very abbreviated tally of Simon’s collection, in no particular order:

Mercedes SL55AMG
Range Rover
Bentley Azure
Rolls Royce Phantom
Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
Bentley Continental GT
Ferrari California
Aston Martin DB9 Volante
Rolls Royce Silver Cloud 3
Jaguar XK120
Bugatti Veyron
Ferrari 430

Unlike his friend, funnyman Jay Leno, Simon doesn’t work on cars as a hobby. He just drives them.

For more about all the Smart selections, including the new Smart ED (electric drive), see the company’s official website:
http://www.smartusa.com

Larry Bell

Larry Bell + is My Perfect Automobile’s Genius Author, but we call him ‘The Expert‘. Here is his full Blog: My Perfect Automobile. Larry lives in San Jose, CA and is also the Expert Author. Larry is a lover of the Automobile as well and shares a passion for Concept, Hybrid and Electric Cars…