Posts with tag: smart fortwo

Smart USA Delivers its First Retail Fortwo Electric Drive

by (RSS feed) January 26th, 2011 at 7:24 pm

fortwomindykimball 597x397 Smart USA Delivers its First Retail Fortwo Electric Drive

Mindy Kimball, a resident of Silver Spring, MD and a US Army Major, was the recipient of the first retail edition of the smart fortwo electric drive, delivered straight to her home by smart USA, a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group. As part of the ceremony of its maiden delivery, PAG Chairman Roger Penske was on hand to give the keys, along with smart USA President Jill Lajdziak.

“This is a groundbreaking day for smart in the United States,” stated Lajdziak. “We are extremely excited to add the smart fortwo electric drive to the smart product lineup, solidifying our position as a key player in transportation electrification.”

Kimball, 36, is an early adopter of EV technology and is active with The Climate Project as well as Washinton, DC’s Electric Vehicle Association. She firmly believes that the fortwo electric drive is simply the best and most modern option available. Her car will be on display at the 2011 Washington Auto Show, through the EVA/DC booth.

With her new car, she also becomes the first official member of “Team 250,”as the delivery marks the first of 250 planned fortwo electric drive units to be spread throughout the United States. These will be strategically distributed across a wide range of companies, organizations and individuals who are interested in going green to conserve and preserve the environment.

Aside from getting their hands on the EVs, Team 250 also has access to a bunch of perks like 24/7 roadside assistance and access to the electric drive expert from smart USA. Plus, they will get priority when the next-generation fortwo becomes available.

The smart fortwo electric drive can be leased via participating smart USA dealerships. Visit http://www.smartusa.com/electricdrive for more information.š

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Whole Foods and car2go sign agreement

by (RSS feed) January 21st, 2011 at 3:46 am

car2go 1 597x397 Whole Foods and car2go sign agreement

car2go North America ( a subsidiary of Daimler with headquarters in Austin, TX) has just signed an agreement with Texas-based retail store Whole Foods Market to provide designated parking spots for car2go vehicles for shopper’s convenience as the come out of the store.

“Whole Foods Market maintains a strong commitment to a sustainable future and we believe this partnership will reinforce that commitment,” said car2go CEO Nicholas Cole. He added that the Daimler subsidiary “is honored to be associated with Whole Foods Market as they continue to provide environmentally sustainable alternatives for their shoppers and employees.”

Launched in 2009, car2go is a carsharing firm operated by Daimler that has Smart Fortwo microcar fleets in Germany and in the US. Although it is still lagging behind its independent rival firm Zipcar, the service has managed to acquire 15,000 customers since November 2009.

Austin was among the initial list of prospective locations when the car2go service launched in the US, and signing the deal with the retail store allows the brand to be more visible to establish awareness.

Additionally, the retail store can provide quality comfort for its customers while helping the environment. “Whole Foods Market is committed to environmental sustainability and making a difference in our community,” added Whole Foods Market’s Austin community relations coordinator Rebecca Scofield. “We believe that this partnership with car2go will support our continued dedication to our core values.”

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smart Rolls Out fortwo nightorange Special Edition

by (RSS feed) January 20th, 2011 at 5:25 am

smartorange 597x398 smart Rolls Out fortwo nightorange Special Edition
With no new models for the fickle market for the past few years, smart’s parent company Daimler has been trying to keep the interest level for the fortwo up by releasing special editions instead. Daimler needs to pursue this strategy as the smart division has an important role in Daimler’s future.

The current year is no exception and after introducing the lightshine special edition to the UK market this month, Daimler is next releasing a new special edition called the smart fortwo nightorange.

The nightorange will be adorned with an exclusive orange-metallic finish combined with a black tridion safety cell and 3-double-spoke alloy wheels of the same color. Additionally, this smart special edition has black painted headlamp trim, black mirror caps and nightorange logos in the mirror triangles. For the interior motif, the exterior theme is continued with black leather and fabric seats, with an orange sport stripe in the middle, pearl black instrument trim, instrument panel and door trim. A nappa leather 3-spoke steering wheel completes the look.

As is usual with all smart fortwos, there is no change to the powertrain or the car’s performance.
Having the typically standard 71, 84 gasoline and 54 hp diesel engines, there will be no new figures to brag about still.

Coupe and cabrio versions are available for this latest special edition, with prices ranging from 14,000-18,500 euros, depending on the powertrain.

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Merc Leads Way in Researching Vehicle-to-Grid Communications Technology

by (RSS feed) January 19th, 2011 at 6:49 am

fortwocharging 597x394 Merc Leads Way in Researching Vehicle to Grid Communications Technology

Mercedes-Benz is currently spearheading research that will make vehicle-to-grid communication possible, so that the technology can be made standard on future electric vehicles. This will help reduce the burden that EVs place on the power grid, and owners will have lower electricity bills also since they’ll be charging during the cheapest periods.

Here’s basically how the system works: When not in use, the EV is plugged into the grid. The user then informs the grid when the vehicle will be used next; this can be done via applications on smartphones and the iPad, for example. Since the grid now knows when the vehicle will be next used, it can determine the best period to charge, ideally at times when there is the least amount of stress on the power grid. Additionally, the grid can also tap the power already in the EV during peak periods. The bottom line is that, by the time the user needs the EV ready to run, it will be fully charged already.

The need for this kind of technology surfaced after seeing the results of Smart Fortwo electric drive and Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-Cell fleet tests. Now, Mercedes-Benz is at the helm of the research group, which is comprised of the major German and French automakers, the Detroit Big Three and Toyota.

“The tech is particularly relevant for the US where energy companies are scared of what impact EVs could have on the grid,” said Werner Preuschoff, Daimler vehicle-to-grid communications senior manager. “As soon as the EV can interact with the grid, EVs become viable as their impact can be understood and managed especially as there is going to be so many of them.”

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UK Is Next Country To Get smart lightshine

by (RSS feed) January 13th, 2011 at 4:17 pm

lightshine 597x397 UK Is Next Country To Get smart lightshineBack in July of last year, the world was treated to a glimpse of a special edition smart called the lightshine. Based on the passion coupe model, the lightshine edition has color-coded apron and sideskirt body panels. In addition to the matte green body panels, the filler cap and headlamp bezels are also color coded. Distinctive wheels and lightshine badging are also employed to elevate this special edition smart car from the other models. Now, the lightshine edition has reached the British mainland, priced at £11,405.

Using new materials and patterns, the interior has a new upper dashboard and glovebox design. Special floor mats and a steering wheel with three spokes and paddle shifter are distinctive items that are capped with the lightshine logo.

Gary Savage, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars says that “The smart fortwo lightshine edition epitomises the values of smart, the model offering an unrivalled fusion of eye-catching style, comfort and environmental compatibility in a fun-to-own and drive package”.

smart Britain has intimated that only 86 lightshine special editions will be available for the local market. Powered by a 54 horsepower engine, the car reportedly has an emissions level of just 86g/km of CO2. smart claims that this number is the lowest for any combustion car now available anywhere in the world.

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