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.

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.

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

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.

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.

In the meantime, an upgrade to the batteries of the current electric smart is expected in 2012. By next year, expect the electric variant of this diminutive automobile to be powered by lithium ion batteries made by Deutsche Accumotive GmbH. This company is a joint venture between Evonik Industries and Daimler.

Image via Wikipedia

After more than four years from launching the new smart fortwo vehicle, the car was able to sell over half a million units. This year alone, about 67,073 smart cars has been delivered to customers, a proof that the vehicle is really getting attention from customers.

More than four years after the market launch of the current generation the smart fortwo remains on the road to success. Until today over half a million models of the innovative two-seater have been sold. And sales continue to rise: since the beginning of the year 69,073 smart fortwo have been delivered to customers around the world, 6.6 percent more than in the same period last year.

Source: Daimler

After taking back the responsibilities for marketing, sales and distribution for smart cars, Mercedes-Benz USA is set to begin TV spots for the minicar brand. As early as next week, U.S. viewers will see smart commercials reappear, after a hiatus which started in 2007. The spots will include loan and lease enticements from MB’s financial arm.

Steve Cannon, Mercedes’ vice president of marketing in the U.S., says that “Over the next 18 months, we will create a distinct Smart environment. But we will keep our cost structure low.” What this means is that the smart will be marketed regionally by concentrating on urban environment markets where minicars as commuters and runabouts are eminently practical. Adds Cannon, “We are not going to try to re-educate Middle America. That’s pushing a rock up a hill.”

There are about 45,000 smart ForTwos currently running around America. Cannon’s aim is to create a smart environment and brand consciousness that will increase this number exponentially.l

At the IAA, smart held an awards ceremony for the Future Minds Award, given to a visionary and sustainable project. There were eleven projects from different industries of design, society, media, science and mobility that were nominated to get the award.

Lidewij Edelkoort, a trend forecaster, Graham Hill, a sustainability blogger, Magne Furuholmen, an artists, and Dr. Annette Winkler, smart head, were the jury who chose the winner, The People’s Supermarket from London.

“The People’s Supermarket makes a positive contribution to urban life. The convincing concept helps people in cities to return to community values. It’s also about healthy food – and food is a subject that unites people around the world!” the jury said. Dr. Annette Winkler also commented, “The People’s Supermarket” has lots of things in common with smart: the project questions the status quo, improves the quality of life in cities and proves that less can often be more.”

At the Frankfurt Auto Show, smart presented its Forvision concept car that could be a glimpse into the next-generation Fortwo.

As befits a concept for the future, innovative new design and material concepts are explored in the Forvision, such as the use of carbon fiber reinforced with epoxy resins, which was used for the passenger cell and the doors. Also explored in the concept was the use of plastic wheels, which also offer significant weight savings like the carbon fiber passenger cell. All these materials provide 50% weight savings compared to traditional materials. For these innovations, Mercedes collaborated with BASF, the German chemical giant.

The concept car is powered by an electric motor, and the solar panel mounted on the roof section will help provide current to drive the plug-in EV.