"We cannot build them fast enough" Smart is opening a store in Santa Monica, CA <$25k convertible, <$25k Coupe, <$28k Cabriolet
http://www.boston.com/cars/newsandreviews/overdrive/2013/04/smart_fortwo_electric_drive_comes_to_boston.html [image] Smart move: Cheapest electric car comes to Boston in May by Clifford Atiyeh Apr 30 2013 [image http://www.boston.com/cars/newsandreviews/overdrive/2013/04/30/Smart-Electric-Drive-Boston.jpg Smart-Electric-Drive-Boston ] Mark your digital calendars: The cheapest, tiniest and most roofless electric car on sale is coming to Boston on May 13 ... Smart has wised up. The new ForTwo ED promises real-world performance -- and at $25,000 before tax credits, the best price among all new electric cars. When equipped with a soft top, this short two-seater can also claim title as the only electric convertible on the market. As Massachusetts is one of 14 "CARB" states -- those which follow the stricter emissions laws of the California Air Resources Board, designed to promote electric vehicles -- we'll see this little ForTwo months before the rest of the country, said Terry Wei, Smart's U.S. marketing manager. "We cannot build them fast enough," she said. For the time being, Smart isn't disclosing its production targets. But unlike rivals Toyota and Fiat, which have restricted their electric vehicle sales to California, Smart is planning a nationwide rollout and expects buyers to jump at the incentives. Even Chevrolet isn't selling its upcoming Spark EV to buyers outside California and Oregon. Jeff Davis, general manager at Herb Chambers Smart in Somerville, said he's taken "eight or nine" preorders for the car, which has an EPA-estimated range of 68 miles per charge. "We're not going to sell these for $40,000," he said, referring to the approximate price of the early prototype cars. "Smart hit its peak business a while ago but it is now coming back quite a bit. I think people want to see what the range is, how the car plugs in." Smart sales started and peaked to about 25,000 in 2008 when gas prices soared to record highs and quickly dropped from there. Last year, Smart sold 10,009 cars after dipping to 5,208 in 2011, the year Mercedes-Benz took over the brand's U.S. distribution and dealer support. At that time, Davis said sales were "extraordinarily low, not even a handful a month," but now that the regular gasoline-powered model leases for $99 per month, monthly sales between state's two Smart dealerships are now between 24 and 30 cars. Lease deals will need to be tight to compete with the 2013 Nissan Leaf, which is now offering $199-per-month rates and cut its base purchase price by $6,400 to $29,650. Unlike the ForTwo, the Leaf has four doors, seats five and has a generous cargo boot. It also offers a greater battery range and more luxury features like heated front and rear seats and leather upholstery. But for running about the North End's unmanageable tangle of one-way streets, the ForTwo ED would be my one and only choice. And while I wouldn't test this theory, maybe Mike's Pastries and the Boston Parking Department wouldn't mind if I left one on the sidewalk while I grabbed a canoli. [© NY Times] http://santamonica.patch.com/articles/smart-vehicle-dealership-opening-in-santa-monica-friday Smart Vehicle Dealership Opening in Santa Monica By Sandra Oshiro Apr 19 2013 [image http://hss-prod.hss.aol.com/hss/storage/patch/20c5c28e7e0d84f7e2457945ce96f1d6 ] The maker of the Smart microcar is opening a store at Santa Monica Place on Friday and making the vehicles available to test drive. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to drive the Smart car, you'll get your chance during a 10-day promotion in Santa Monica. The automaker Smart Automobile, a branch of Daimler AG, is opening a "pop-up" dealership on Friday in Santa Monica Place, 395 Santa Monica Place, next to Nordstrom. Test drives of the Smart Electric Drive, billed as the car with the smallest footprint and most affordable electric vehicle, will be available from Friday to Sunday, April 28. Drivers can put the car through its paces Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to the Smart website, a single charge of the Smart Electric Drive's lithium-ion battery gives the car a range of 68 miles. The microcar can be charged using a household plug, but a charging station installed at home reduces the charge time from 12 hours to about six hours. The manufacturer claims Smart Electric Drive achieves the equivalent of 122 city miles per gallon. The electric car lists at $25,000 for the Coupe version and $28,000 for the Cabriolet. The Smart promotion is part of Earth Day events that will include free coffee for test drivers; a performance by Skylar Grey on Sunday, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; "eco-conscious food" and beverage samplings prepared by Chef CJ Jacobson of Top Chef on Monday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and a Winnie & Kat Fashion Trunk Show on Sunday, April 28, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. [© 2013 Patch] http://cleantechnica.com/2013/04/17/smart-electric-drive-to-offer-leasing-option-in-the-us/ Smart Electric Drive To Offer Leasing Option In The US ... Smart USA is going to start offering its US customers the option to lease the batteries for its Smart ... Apr 17, 2013 http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1083332_2013-smart-electric-drive-drive-video-from-ny-auto-show 2013 Smart Electric Drive: Drive Video From NY Auto Show But it probably helped us on our half-hour drive around crowded midtown Manhattan in the new 2013 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, the latest all-electric version ... Apr 3, 2013 http://www.myperfectautomobile.com/electric-car-2/smart-fortwo-2.html Smart Fortwo EV Coming to US 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 ... Apr 1, 2013 For all EVLN posts use: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=evln&sort=date Here are today's archive-only EV posts: EVLN: Indoor e-kart racing @Fastrax Raceway, Albany, NY ts:50mph EVLN: $20k JAC EVs Exported to the US @Shanghai Auto Show 2013 EVLN: NYC Bloomberg’s plan to have Leaf taxis as 1/3 of fleet by 2020 EVLN: RM136,118.50 iMiev now on sale in Malaysia r:150km ts:130kph EVLN: Paxster postman EV received a design award r:80km (video) + EVLN: Vroom-vroom gives way to a quiet Canadian Zoom-zoom revolution {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-25k-Smart-ForTwo-ED-EV-coming-to-Boston-on-May-13-r-68mi-tp4662778.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
