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In the late 1980s, SMH (makers of the Swatch brand of watches) CEO Nicolas Hayek began developing an idea for a new car using the same type of manufacturing strategies and personalization features used to popularize Swatch watches. He believed that the automotive industry had ignored a sector of potential customers who wanted a small and stylish city car. This idea soon became known as the "Swatchmobile". Hayek's private company Hayek Engineering AG began designing the new car for SMH, with seating for two and a hybrid drivetrain.[2]
While design of the car was proceeding, Hayek feared existing manufacturers would feel threatened by the Swatchmobile. Thus, rather than directly competing, he preferred to cooperate with another company in the automotive industry. This would also relieve SMH of the cost burden in setting up a distribution network. Hayek approached several automotive manufacturers and on July 3, 1991 he reached an agreement with Volkswagen to share development of the new project.[3]
By 1993 Ferdinand Piëch had become CEO of Volkswagen and he immediately sought to terminate the project with SMH. Volkswagen had already been working on their own "three-litre car": a car which would consume three litres of fuel per 100 km of driving (the eventual Volkswagen Lupo 3L). Volkswagen's own concept was believed to be a better business proposition, featuring four seats and more cargo room.[4]
Hayek had suspected that Piëch would seek to end the agreement with SMH upon his ascendancy to the CEO position; therefore, he discreetly began approaching other car companies with the Swatchmobile project. Rebuffed by BMW, Fiat, General Motors and Renault, he finally reached an informal agreement with Daimler-Benz AG, maker of Mercedes-Benz cars.[5]
A deal was announced on March 4, 1994, at a press conference at Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart that the companies would join forces in founding Micro Compact Car AG (MCC). 49% of the initial capital of 50 million Swiss francs were provided by SMH and the remaining 51% by Daimler-Benz. The company consisted of two subsidiaries: MCC GmbH based in Renningen (a suburb of Stuttgart) which would design the car, and the then-unnamed manufacturing plant. SMH Auto SA, owned by Hayek, would design a hybrid electric drive system for the car, while Hayek Engineering would audit the design and manufacturing.[6]
The press conference also featured the debut of two concept cars: the eco-sprinter and eco-speedster, styled by Mercedes-Benz's design studio in California.[7] The cars were reminiscent of the eventual Smart City-Coupé. No mention was made of the fact that SMH had no input in the design of these concepts,[8] and they were badged as Mercedes-Benzes.
By the end of April 1994 MCC had set up a head office in Biel, Switzerland.[9]
Despite misgivings and skepticism by certain industry authorities, Canadians, in general, have welcomed the Smart ForTwo with open arms and pocket books.
This is especially impressive since the first smart cars in North America were introduced in Canada rather than in the United States. Some would say that was a rather bold move by Mercedes-Benz of Canada. Since its launch over seven years ago, over 20,000 Smarts have been sold in Canada. Far exceeding everyone’s, especially Mercedes-Benz of Canada’s, predictions.
Several years after its debut in our country, the smart is now a fairly common sight on our streets – and it’s gaining more and more fans south of the border too. We can at least claim to have appreciated the virtues of this two-seater first – which is kind of novel in our market.
In 2007, the popular and still sought after, 40 hp diesel, was replaced by the second-generation 70 hp gasoline smart second generation, and in 2011, with the “new generation” Smart ForTwo. Other than replacing the diesel cdi power with a gas engine the smart car remained similar.
While it’s a fact European smarts always have several options and features, not available in North America.
The first generation ran from ’98-’07 and the second generation is currently on the streets now.
Mercedes-Benz Canada, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of the smart brand. Mercedes-Benz Canada is the Canadian subsidiary of Daimler AG, who through smart, GmbH manufactures the smart fortwo.
The new 999 cc I3 version 3B21 (2007 onwards) is produced by Mitsubishi Motors and it comprises normally aspirated (NA) and turbo versions. The turbo petrol version has a power of 84 PS (83 hp). The NA 999 cc engine has 11.4:1 compression ratio and premium fuel (95+ octane RON) is recommended. It is rated at 71 hp (53 kW). The US NA 999 cc engine has a 10:1 compression ratio and premium fuel (91 octane AKI) is recommended and is rated at 70 hp (71 PS; 52 kW). German tuner company Brabus, in a joint venture with Smart, has developed a version with 72 kW (97 hp; 98 PS) and 140 N·m torque, originally available only in Europe, but now available elsewhere.
European Union (EU) testing rates the 999 cc Smart at 4.7 L/100 km (60 mpg-imp; 50 mpg-US) for the gasoline model and 3.4 L/100 km (83 mpg-imp; 69 mpg-US) for the diesel.[citation needed] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the vehicle at 36 mpg-US (6.5 L/100 km; 43 mpg-imp) combined.[9]
The Smart is equipped with seat-mounted combination side airbags as well as electronic stability control. To maximize the front crumple zone, the smart fortwo's engine is rear-mounted.
In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, the 2008 Smart Fortwo, the smallest car marketed in the US market, earned the top overall rating of "Good" in both the front and side crash tests. The Fortwo received the "Good" score in 8 of 11 measured injury categories.[10] Its seat/head restraints earned the second highest rating of "Acceptable" for protection against whiplash in rear impacts. The IIHS did an offset crash test with a Smart Fortwo and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which is 40% of one car's driver's side head on with 40% of another car's driver's side, and the Smart received a "Poor" rating due to the occupants' heads slamming into the steering wheel. Also, there was too much intrusion into the footwell of the Smart Fortwo. The dummy movement was not well controlled. The Smart Fortwo spun 450 degrees in the air upon impact.[1
An all-electric version of the fortwo, the "smart fortwo electric drive", has been in development since 2006.[14][15] Zytek developed the motor and produced the first-generation "smart EV" cars powered by sodium-nickel chloride batteries.[16] Market trials began during 2007[17][18] in London. Externally it appears identical to the standard 'Smart Fortwo coupé'.[19]
At the London motorshow in July 2008, Smart representatives gave estimates of the Smart ED purchase price to be around £16,000 (€20,000). It was also presented at the 2008 Paris Car Show. Production delivery was expected in 2010. It will feature 30 kW (40 hp) output, a top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) and will be capable of 0-30 mph (48 km/h) in 6.5 seconds. The European fortwo ED can travel up to 72 miles (116 km) between charges. It typically takes around 8 hours for a full charge.[20][21][22][23]
In 2008 Tesla Motors signed an agreement to supply the first 1000 battery packs for these cars.[24] In August 2009 Daimler announced production of second-generation vehicles using Tesla's lithium-ion battery packs would begin in late 2009 for trials in Europe and the USA, with general availability in 2012.[
The Smart fortwo was introduced in Canada in 2004 and sold through Mercedes-Benz dealers. Only the turbo-diesel powerplant was offered for the coupé and convertible models because of tough emission regulations for gasoline engines dictated by Transport Canada. Demand was initially heavy, with up to six-month waiting lists in major urban areas in the spring of 2005. The vehicle has proven 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.
In 2008, Canada only received the gasoline model because the diesel version does not meet 2007 emission standards. The fortwo carries a 1.0-litre engine that delivers up to 70 horsepower (52 kW) and a re-engineered automated-manual 5-speed transmission with a slightly larger body. It is not yet decided if any other engines will be offered by smart Canada in the future such as the micro hybrid or a future diesel model. At this point the 2009 model of the smart will continue to have the 70 hp (52 kW) gasoline powered engine. Due to the changes, the fortwo sales plummeted in Canada.
New York City: In 1882, Thomas A. Edison founded the first central power plant in the United States. By 1910, half of the cars running around New York City were electric-powered. But the fate of the electric car was sealed by Cadillac’s invention of the electric starter for its internal-combustion-engine cars and electric cars soon fell by the wayside. Now, 100 years later, the electric car is making its comeback as automakers jump back on the electric car bandwagon. Among them is Mercedes-Benz, which has announced plans to build 1,500 electric Smart fortwos. The second phase of a public trial will see 45 of these cars running on Canadian roads in the fourth quarter of this year.
Why a Smart electric car and why now? The answer put forth by Pitt Moos, product manager for Smart electric drive, is that it was always the first intention of Nicolas Hayek, the founder of the Smart car venture, to produce an electric or a hybrid car. His vision did not at first materialize because the technology was not ready and there was no market for an electric car at the start of the project. This, he says, explains why the Smart cars were produced solely with internal-combustion engines. However, now that the technology is available and consumers are ready to consider an electric vehicle, it is time to move ahead.
The electric Smart fortwo will not be sold outright in Canada but rather leased over a four-year period to corporations, which will account for 80% of the clientele, as well as individuals, which will comprise 20% of the lessees. No pricing information has been revealed for the lease of the electric Smart fortwo in Canada, but the plan for the U.S., which gets 250 cars, is already in place. It involves a US$2,500 downpayment and a US$599 monthly lease payment for 48 months. These figures take into account the US$7,500 grant awarded to buyers of electric cars by the U.S. federal government as well as other incentives provided by various state governments. Each Smart fortwo electric car will have a four-year warranty.
So much for the economics; what’s it like to drive? The electric Smart fortwo drives like a heavier and slower Smart fortwo because it is heavier — by 308 pounds — and slower, given the output of its electric motor is only 41 horsepower compared with the 70 hp of the conventional Smart car.
However, the torque of the electric Smart fortwo is rated at 88.5 pound-feet, which is 20 lb-ft higher than that of the conventional Smart.
From a standstill, the electric Smart fortwo gets off the line rather briskly, but it can only manage a zero-to-60-kilometres-an-hour time of 6.5 seconds. Top speed is limited at 100 km/h.
The range of the electric Smart is 135 km on a full charge, which represents roughly four to five hours of operation at typical city speeds, according to Moos. Charging times will vary depending upon the power source, but it is estimated the battery can be charged from a 20% to an 80% level in three and a half hours. That’s when it is plugged into a 220-volt outlet — which is similar to the outlet used by a typical home electric clothes dryer — and charged from a 0% to 100% level in eight hours.
The basic concept put forth by Smart for its EV is “drive by day, charge by night” — the driving pattern of most commuters. It does take a while to get used to driving an electric vehicle and the so-called “range anxiety” is definitely a factor for first-time users who tend to fixate on the readout of the gauge indicating the battery’s state of charge. During the initial trial of the electric Smart fortwo in the UK, which is still ongoing, 87% of the users said they were anxious about range at the start of the program.
That number has dropped to 17% after two years of use. A new iPhone application has been created so users can monitor the charging status, the time remaining to a full charge and the estimated available range.
Driven around the streets of Brooklyn, the electric Smart fortwo was perfectly at ease. I never felt that more power was needed as the car was able to match the flow of traffic without a problem. However, the real thrill of driving the electric Smart fortwo does not come from its performance but rather with the feeling that you are getting away with something. That’s because, for now, at least, electric power is much cheaper than gasoline. Add to that the fact that the car is very quiet, even at speed, and completely silent at a standstill and you get a very positive feeling behind the wheel.
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The tiny Smart car gets out of the the city and takes a drive through the harsh tundra of Northern Canada Smart car canada
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In the late 1980s, SMH (makers of the Swatch brand of watches) CEO Nicolas Hayek began developing an idea for a new car using the same type of manufacturing strategies and personalization features used to popularize Swatch watches. He believed that the automotive industry had ignored a sector of potential customers who wanted a small and stylish city car. This idea soon became known as the "Swatchmobile". Hayek's private company Hayek Engineering AG began designing the new car for SMH, with seating for two and a hybrid drivetrain.[2]
While design of the car was proceeding, Hayek feared existing manufacturers would feel threatened by the Swatchmobile. Thus, rather than directly competing, he preferred to cooperate with another company in the automotive industry. This would also relieve SMH of the cost burden in setting up a distribution network. Hayek approached several automotive manufacturers and on July 3, 1991 he reached an agreement with Volkswagen to share development of the new project.[3]
By 1993 Ferdinand Piëch had become CEO of Volkswagen and he immediately sought to terminate the project with SMH. Volkswagen had already been working on their own "three-litre car": a car which would consume three litres of fuel per 100 km of driving (the eventual Volkswagen Lupo 3L). Volkswagen's own concept was believed to be a better business proposition, featuring four seats and more cargo room.[4]
Hayek had suspected that Piëch would seek to end the agreement with SMH upon his ascendancy to the CEO position; therefore, he discreetly began approaching other car companies with the Swatchmobile project. Rebuffed by BMW, Fiat, General Motors and Renault, he finally reached an informal agreement with Daimler-Benz AG, maker of Mercedes-Benz cars.[5]
A deal was announced on March 4, 1994, at a press conference at Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart that the companies would join forces in founding Micro Compact Car AG (MCC). 49% of the initial capital of 50 million Swiss francs were provided by SMH and the remaining 51% by Daimler-Benz. The company consisted of two subsidiaries: MCC GmbH based in Renningen (a suburb of Stuttgart) which would design the car, and the then-unnamed manufacturing plant. SMH Auto SA, owned by Hayek, would design a hybrid electric drive system for the car, while Hayek Engineering would audit the design and manufacturing.[6]
The press conference also featured the debut of two concept cars: the eco-sprinter and eco-speedster, styled by Mercedes-Benz's design studio in California.[7] The cars were reminiscent of the eventual Smart City-Coupé. No mention was made of the fact that SMH had no input in the design of these concepts,[8] and they were badged as Mercedes-Benzes.
By the end of April 1994 MCC had set up a head office in Biel, Switzerland.[9]
Despite misgivings and skepticism by certain industry authorities, Canadians, in general, have welcomed the Smart ForTwo with open arms and pocket books.
This is especially impressive since the first smart cars in North America were introduced in Canada rather than in the United States. Some would say that was a rather bold move by Mercedes-Benz of Canada. Since its launch over seven years ago, over 20,000 Smarts have been sold in Canada. Far exceeding everyone’s, especially Mercedes-Benz of Canada’s, predictions.
Several years after its debut in our country, the smart is now a fairly common sight on our streets – and it’s gaining more and more fans south of the border too. We can at least claim to have appreciated the virtues of this two-seater first – which is kind of novel in our market.
In 2007, the popular and still sought after, 40 hp diesel, was replaced by the second-generation 70 hp gasoline smart second generation, and in 2011, with the “new generation” Smart ForTwo. Other than replacing the diesel cdi power with a gas engine the smart car remained similar.
While it’s a fact European smarts always have several options and features, not available in North America.
The first generation ran from ’98-’07 and the second generation is currently on the streets now.
Mercedes-Benz Canada, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of the smart brand. Mercedes-Benz Canada is the Canadian subsidiary of Daimler AG, who through smart, GmbH manufactures the smart fortwo.
The new 999 cc I3 version 3B21 (2007 onwards) is produced by Mitsubishi Motors and it comprises normally aspirated (NA) and turbo versions. The turbo petrol version has a power of 84 PS (83 hp). The NA 999 cc engine has 11.4:1 compression ratio and premium fuel (95+ octane RON) is recommended. It is rated at 71 hp (53 kW). The US NA 999 cc engine has a 10:1 compression ratio and premium fuel (91 octane AKI) is recommended and is rated at 70 hp (71 PS; 52 kW). German tuner company Brabus, in a joint venture with Smart, has developed a version with 72 kW (97 hp; 98 PS) and 140 N·m torque, originally available only in Europe, but now available elsewhere.
European Union (EU) testing rates the 999 cc Smart at 4.7 L/100 km (60 mpg-imp; 50 mpg-US) for the gasoline model and 3.4 L/100 km (83 mpg-imp; 69 mpg-US) for the diesel.[citation needed] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the vehicle at 36 mpg-US (6.5 L/100 km; 43 mpg-imp) combined.[9]
The Smart is equipped with seat-mounted combination side airbags as well as electronic stability control. To maximize the front crumple zone, the smart fortwo's engine is rear-mounted.
In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests, the 2008 Smart Fortwo, the smallest car marketed in the US market, earned the top overall rating of "Good" in both the front and side crash tests. The Fortwo received the "Good" score in 8 of 11 measured injury categories.[10] Its seat/head restraints earned the second highest rating of "Acceptable" for protection against whiplash in rear impacts. The IIHS did an offset crash test with a Smart Fortwo and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which is 40% of one car's driver's side head on with 40% of another car's driver's side, and the Smart received a "Poor" rating due to the occupants' heads slamming into the steering wheel. Also, there was too much intrusion into the footwell of the Smart Fortwo. The dummy movement was not well controlled. The Smart Fortwo spun 450 degrees in the air upon impact.[1
An all-electric version of the fortwo, the "smart fortwo electric drive", has been in development since 2006.[14][15] Zytek developed the motor and produced the first-generation "smart EV" cars powered by sodium-nickel chloride batteries.[16] Market trials began during 2007[17][18] in London. Externally it appears identical to the standard 'Smart Fortwo coupé'.[19]
At the London motorshow in July 2008, Smart representatives gave estimates of the Smart ED purchase price to be around £16,000 (€20,000). It was also presented at the 2008 Paris Car Show. Production delivery was expected in 2010. It will feature 30 kW (40 hp) output, a top speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) and will be capable of 0-30 mph (48 km/h) in 6.5 seconds. The European fortwo ED can travel up to 72 miles (116 km) between charges. It typically takes around 8 hours for a full charge.[20][21][22][23]
In 2008 Tesla Motors signed an agreement to supply the first 1000 battery packs for these cars.[24] In August 2009 Daimler announced production of second-generation vehicles using Tesla's lithium-ion battery packs would begin in late 2009 for trials in Europe and the USA, with general availability in 2012.[
The Smart fortwo was introduced in Canada in 2004 and sold through Mercedes-Benz dealers. Only the turbo-diesel powerplant was offered for the coupé and convertible models because of tough emission regulations for gasoline engines dictated by Transport Canada. Demand was initially heavy, with up to six-month waiting lists in major urban areas in the spring of 2005. The vehicle has proven 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.
In 2008, Canada only received the gasoline model because the diesel version does not meet 2007 emission standards. The fortwo carries a 1.0-litre engine that delivers up to 70 horsepower (52 kW) and a re-engineered automated-manual 5-speed transmission with a slightly larger body. It is not yet decided if any other engines will be offered by smart Canada in the future such as the micro hybrid or a future diesel model. At this point the 2009 model of the smart will continue to have the 70 hp (52 kW) gasoline powered engine. Due to the changes, the fortwo sales plummeted in Canada.
New York City: In 1882, Thomas A. Edison founded the first central power plant in the United States. By 1910, half of the cars running around New York City were electric-powered. But the fate of the electric car was sealed by Cadillac’s invention of the electric starter for its internal-combustion-engine cars and electric cars soon fell by the wayside. Now, 100 years later, the electric car is making its comeback as automakers jump back on the electric car bandwagon. Among them is Mercedes-Benz, which has announced plans to build 1,500 electric Smart fortwos. The second phase of a public trial will see 45 of these cars running on Canadian roads in the fourth quarter of this year.
Why a Smart electric car and why now? The answer put forth by Pitt Moos, product manager for Smart electric drive, is that it was always the first intention of Nicolas Hayek, the founder of the Smart car venture, to produce an electric or a hybrid car. His vision did not at first materialize because the technology was not ready and there was no market for an electric car at the start of the project. This, he says, explains why the Smart cars were produced solely with internal-combustion engines. However, now that the technology is available and consumers are ready to consider an electric vehicle, it is time to move ahead.
The electric Smart fortwo will not be sold outright in Canada but rather leased over a four-year period to corporations, which will account for 80% of the clientele, as well as individuals, which will comprise 20% of the lessees. No pricing information has been revealed for the lease of the electric Smart fortwo in Canada, but the plan for the U.S., which gets 250 cars, is already in place. It involves a US$2,500 downpayment and a US$599 monthly lease payment for 48 months. These figures take into account the US$7,500 grant awarded to buyers of electric cars by the U.S. federal government as well as other incentives provided by various state governments. Each Smart fortwo electric car will have a four-year warranty.
So much for the economics; what’s it like to drive? The electric Smart fortwo drives like a heavier and slower Smart fortwo because it is heavier — by 308 pounds — and slower, given the output of its electric motor is only 41 horsepower compared with the 70 hp of the conventional Smart car.
However, the torque of the electric Smart fortwo is rated at 88.5 pound-feet, which is 20 lb-ft higher than that of the conventional Smart.
From a standstill, the electric Smart fortwo gets off the line rather briskly, but it can only manage a zero-to-60-kilometres-an-hour time of 6.5 seconds. Top speed is limited at 100 km/h.
The range of the electric Smart is 135 km on a full charge, which represents roughly four to five hours of operation at typical city speeds, according to Moos. Charging times will vary depending upon the power source, but it is estimated the battery can be charged from a 20% to an 80% level in three and a half hours. That’s when it is plugged into a 220-volt outlet — which is similar to the outlet used by a typical home electric clothes dryer — and charged from a 0% to 100% level in eight hours.
The basic concept put forth by Smart for its EV is “drive by day, charge by night” — the driving pattern of most commuters. It does take a while to get used to driving an electric vehicle and the so-called “range anxiety” is definitely a factor for first-time users who tend to fixate on the readout of the gauge indicating the battery’s state of charge. During the initial trial of the electric Smart fortwo in the UK, which is still ongoing, 87% of the users said they were anxious about range at the start of the program.
That number has dropped to 17% after two years of use. A new iPhone application has been created so users can monitor the charging status, the time remaining to a full charge and the estimated available range.
Driven around the streets of Brooklyn, the electric Smart fortwo was perfectly at ease. I never felt that more power was needed as the car was able to match the flow of traffic without a problem. However, the real thrill of driving the electric Smart fortwo does not come from its performance but rather with the feeling that you are getting away with something. That’s because, for now, at least, electric power is much cheaper than gasoline. Add to that the fact that the car is very quiet, even at speed, and completely silent at a standstill and you get a very positive feeling behind the wheel.
Smart car canada
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