Posts with tag: Smart

Mercedes-Benz S-Class is on the highest insurance loss list

s class LWB 597x318 Mercedes Benz S Class is on the highest insurance loss list
Considering how much it costs, is it a surprise that the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has one of the highest insurance premiums in the U.S.? As anyone who has delved into the premium costs of car insurance knows, computing a car’s insurance is derived from a host of factors, a large part of which is the age group of the driver. But another significant factor in the cost of your insurance is the historical data compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Most of us know that the IIHS does crash tests. But over the years, they have also compiled data on the loss insurance companies incur on all the vehicles available on the market. The resulting vehicle loss list has now become part of the formula for computing a car owner’s insurance premium.

In the case of the S-Class, one assumes that the cost of the car is the reason for the high insurance cost. Actually, the reason why the S-Class costs so much to insure is because it places 2nd on the vehicle loss list, slotting in between the Scion tC and the Mitsubishi Lancer, which placed 1st and 3rd respectively. How and why the LWB S-Class came to be second is for the IIHS to explain. At the other end of the spectrum however, is the smart ForTwo. This car is at the top of the list for the lowest loss vehicle as far as the insurance companies are concerned. So, if you’re a family man and decide to buy a ForTwo as a commuter car, expect to pay one of the lowest premiums around. If you’re Benz is not on the list, but you’re still paying a lot of your insurnace, then it might be a good idea to get some auto insurance quotes and compare.

smart for-us Pickup Concept Hits Detroit

smart for us1 597x396 smart for us Pickup Concept Hits Detroit

Shown live at the Detroit Auto Show was smart’s For-Us concept vehicle. The pickup truck concept is a refreshing departure from the retrimmed and basically repainted smart vehicles that we are growing tired of seeing. But pickup is a generous description for this city vehicle, as it is not much larger than the smart cars we are used to seeing.

For motive power, this mini-pickup has a 75-horsepower electric motor run by a 17.6 kW/h lithium ion pack. Smart claims 0 to 60 times in five seconds with a top speed of 80 mph. Charging from 20 percent to 80 takes three and a half hours while 8 hours is needed for a complete top up. With only 11.6 cubic feet of cargo space, the for-us is not a very practical hauler but as a concept car, it is an interesting take on a city vehicle.

The New smart for-us, a Utility Car Like No Other

11C1256 17 The New smart for us, a Utility Car Like No Other

smart is at it again, developing and introducing new features and functions of the car. Now, the car manufacturer will have the smart for-us premier at the Detroit Motor Show.

You will be amazed by the car because aside from its environment-friendly characteristic of zero-emission and its size, they made it a pick-up! Yes, pick-up.

The design: sassy and robust with extremely short overhangs

Compared with the series-produced fortwo the smart for-us makes a powerful statement and its appearance plays with the martial image of conventional mega-pickups. Nevertheless, it greets the viewer with a friendly yet assertive face. It features convex and sensuously shaped body surfaces. The large brand emblem is proudly sported on the grille, and the front has a pronounced three-dimensional design with an underride guard finishing off the lower part of the front end.

The longer wheelbase (2480 mm/plus 613 mm) and the track that has been widened by 50 mm on each side also emphasise the robust look of the study. At the same time the extremely short overhangs at the front and rear make it exceedingly compact.

The tailboard at the rear of the smart for-us is electrically driven. When it opens first of all the cargo floor including tailboard retracts by 280 mm, then the tailgate slides down in a parallel position. The cargo on the 900 mm cargo area is then extremely easy to access.

Sleek, taut surfaces in mother-of-pearl white combined with precisely designed technical functional elements in brushed aluminium – the interior is characterised by contrasts. Like in the smart forvision, the whole cockpit boasts aerodynamic styling for interior ventilation. In place of a conventional rear-view mirror the smart for-us features a smartphone accommodated in a holder on top of the instrument panel support. The driver can see what is happening on the road behind with the help of an integrated video camera.

Stylish, uncomplicated, highly functional and easy to individualise – the two seats in the concept car are typically smart. The seat shells, which are open in the middle, are covered with a soft yellow fabric throw giving them a hammock-like seating feel.

Electric drive – zero-local-emission driving fun

The electric drive of the smart for-us is based on the innovative drive concept of the smart fortwo electric drive, which will be launched in the spring of 2012. Thanks to the 55 kW magneto-electric motor the smart for-us is agile and lively to drive. With 130 Newton metres of torque it boasts powerful, lag-free acceleration and it can overtake other vehicles with the greatest of ease. The maximum speed exceeds 120 km/h. The lithium-ion battery has capacity of 17.6 kWh.

Source:  Daimler AG

Food Cart in a Smart Car?

Food Cart in a Smart Car 597x330 Food Cart in a Smart Car?

Dubbed as the world’s smallest food truck, this innovation is a made in a smart car. The business which sells German sandwich in Austin, Texas was started by Michael Heyne and Dominel Stein, exchange students from Germany who wants to put their country’s delicacy on the map of the “Live Music Capital of the World”.

The sandwich called Doener Kebaps is now becoming popular in the city. And why not when they are not only selling delicious meals, but they are also rolling on smart car. Despite the fact that mobile food carts are not new anymore, this one became a hit because it is the David in the midst of Goliaths. In the industry dominated by trailers, this new concept surely attracted attention.

You wouldn’t believe it but the smallest food truck has food container assemble, power unit for food warmers, refrigerator and sink. All these were custom-made for them by Frenzel, a German company who build customized coaches.

The mini “restaurant” currently have a limited menu, perhaps because of its size. They get their supplies from a large restaurant, meaning after being able to sell 50 sandwiches, they have to go backl to the restaurant to get more supplies. That’s just the downside of it, but who knows what these two Germans can do in the future.

Automotto.com.

The World’s Largest car2go Fleet in Vienna

car2go vienna 096H The Worlds Largest car2go Fleet in Vienna

After the success of car2go networks in Vancouver, Austin, Hamburg and other cities in the world, it is not surprising that the car sharing program will set up in another European country, Austria, specifically in Vienna. This new location will not be like the others, it is the largest one as there will 500 smart fortwo cars for rent starting in December.

Car2go is an initiative that helps people get a rental car without the hassle of getting in a rental office as you can spontaneously rent cars anytime and any place without setting a time or place to return it to.

Robert Henrich, Managing Director of car2go GmbH described the feature of their service by saying, “With car2go you can simply get in and drive. Our customers can rent a vehicle spontaneously – without prior reservation or specifying a time of return. You can simply leave the vehicle at you destination without having to return it to the departure point.” He said that Vienna is the perfect place for this system. He added that, “Vienna has a highly regarded and well-used public transport system. Car2go wants to supplement this most important form of transport with a further option for city-dwellers, making the overall system more attractive.”

A one time registration fee of €9.90 will be charged for those who sign up starting November 15. You may sign up at www.car2go.com. On November 21, customers can also visit the car2go office at Hintere Zollamtsstraße 9 in 1030 Vienna. A driving credit of 60 minutes will be given to new members as a bonus.

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