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Smart
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smart (formerly MCC Smart) is a brand of microcar based in Böblingen, Germany. The name of the company, part of DaimlerChrysler, was changed from Micro Compact Car GmbH to smart GmbH in September 2002.
Company history
As free parking spots are hard to find in many European cities, official parking is expensive, and illegally parked cars are fined, immobilized or towed, the original idea behind the very short "smart car" is that the vehicle may be parked back-in in parallel parking zones. [citation needed]||}} Its length of 250cm (98.4 in) equals the width of a truck or a regular parking slot, allowing two or three Smarts to park in the same space as one normal car if parked side-on to the usual parking direction.
The project idea was originally supported by Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch, and was nicknamed the "Swatchmobile". The name SMART stands for Swatch Mercedes ART [citation needed]||}}. The car was supposed to use innovative features (such as a hybrid engine) and to be an affordable car for young people. Similar to the objective for the Citroen 2CV in the 1940s, its purpose was to "transport two people and a case of beer" (later replaced by a case of water).
Being inexperienced in automobiles, Swatch CEO Nicolas Hayek sought an established car maker to produce his Swatch car, and found a partner in Volkswagen. Plans never reached a final stage so Swatch teamed up with Daimler-Benz. The purpose-built factory complex Smartville in Hambach, Lorraine, France, was established in 1994 as a joint-venture of Daimler-Benz and the Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch.
The final car design proved to be far from Hayek's expectations: its engine technology was conventional and it was more expensive than most small 4-seater cars sold in Europe. The joint venture experienced heavy losses and Swatch pulled out.
In 2005, DaimlerChrysler decided against purchasing a 50% share in the NedCar plant used to manufacture the Forfour. DC also halted development on the Formore and decided to discontinue production of the Roadster.
In 2006, after dwindling sales DaimlerChrysler announced that it would also cancel the forfour and redesign the Fortwo and the new design would debut in Europe in 2007.
Fuel efficiency and environmental impact
The Smart has better-than-average fuel efficiency, though not remarkable for a very small car. The "Americanized" version modified by Zap Motors has been rated by the American EPA at 40 miles per gallon (US)[1] (48 miles per imperial gallon or 5.9 L/100 km).
It is claimed that the Smart is designed to have a low environmental impact in other ways as well, such as being designed with recycling in mind.
It can cost importers upwards of $6500 to make a SMART ForTwo DOT legal.
Models
Apart from the original short smart Fortwo, a sporty smart Roadster and a regular smart Forfour and extended the brand into a true marque.
Smart in North America
Canada
The smart Fortwo was introduced in Canada in the 2004 calendar year and sold through Mercedes-Benz dealers. Only the turbo-diesel powerplant is offered as power for the coupe and convertible models because of emission regulations for the gasoline engines set forth by Transport Canada. Demand has been heavy with up to six month waiting lists in major urban areas in the spring of 2005. The vehicle has been especially popular for light errand running for small shops and businesses, with many carrying custom paint jobs or stick-on graphics boldly advertising the associated product or service. As of March 2006, Smart Canada says that the government is still testing the Forfours for import to Canada.
United States
Currently, all Smart Cars sold in the United States are "grey market vehicles - modified versions of the smart Fortwo sold by some dealerships. U.S. Federal regulations allow certain "grey market" importing in large quantities provided the vehicles are modified and tested to conform to U.S. safety and emissions regulations. Appropriate certifications for safety (DOT) and emissions (EPA) have been obtained by Zap Motors, who purchase the car from a direct importer, but are not an official distributor of Smart vehicles. Daimler-Chrysler is currently (June, 2006) involved in a lawsuit against many or all such distributers [1]
On June 28, 2006, Daimler-Chrysler confirmed that retailer UnitedAuto Group "will be responsible for awarding potential dealerships and developing and maintaining a Smart vehicle dealership network throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico."[2] The first cars are expected to be available in 2008 and will be limited to the Smartfortwo
It is theoretically possible for an individual to purchase a Smart as a used vehicle from Canada, although impractical for most people due to various state title and licensing issues.
References
[1] National Public Radio program on the Smart vehicle. June 2006.
