SMART Cars in the United States

This evening I saw a series of posts in the Hyundai group questioning
why the SMART is not available for sale here in the United States. I
have seen them on trips to England, and they are most interesting.

I lost the thread, but I have found this partial answer to the basic
question on the Net. It may be all wishful thinking by these folks,
but here it is:



1. What type of fuel does the Smart Car use?
Unleaded regular gasoline, 87 Octane. ZAP is focused on models that
use unleaded gasoline, but some models are powered by diesel fuel.
It’s not electric and not a hybrid, but the size and power rating make
it one of the most efficient internal combustion cars in production
today, rivaling the efficiency of the current hybrids in America.


2. When will the Smart Car Americanized by ZAP be available?
Soon, but at ZAP we foresee a huge public demand for this car for
which there may not be enough initial supply to satisfy. Through a
registered import company, ZAP is beginning to distribute cars through
authorized and technically trained dealers. Visit our website at
www.zapworld.com to register your purchase interest and when the cars
become available in your area, we will arrange for you to be alerted
about any purchase opportunities.


3. Where can you buy a Smart Car Americanized by ZAP?
Our goal is to open an auto dealership in your neighborhood where you
would be able to see, test-drive and buy the Smart Car Americanized by
ZAP. ZAP is in the process of mapping out distribution for a complete
line of cars through a distribution network of ZAP Authorized
Retailers. ZAP Auto Dealerships will be pioneers in marketing the next
generation of transportation, targeting marketing opportunities for
energy efficient and advanced automotive technologies.


4. How much does the Smart Car Americanized by ZAP cost?
The Smart Car Americanized by ZAP will be available through selected
auto dealers. The cars come with a multitude of options, accessories
and sub-models, so prices may vary subject to options and
availability. Our initial supply includes many with luxury features,
so pricing may be in the $25,000 range.


5. What is the fuel economy of the Smart Car?
According to the EPA the Smart Car Americanized by ZAP is one of the
most fuel-efficient cars available. Fuel-efficiency can vary depending
on road conditions and vehicle operation. Visit http://www.smart.com
for European test data.


6. How can I become a ZAP dealer?
The timing has never been better to become a dealer for advanced
technology vehicles and ZAP is currently approaching existing auto
dealers to become dealers for ZAP Cars and other vehicles. If you are
an auto dealer or know someone who is, ZAP is recruiting
dealers who will drive the future of transportation by becoming
leaders in their community for the next generation of automotive
technologies that are fun, practical and follow our philosophy of Zero
Air Pollution (ZAP). Contact ZAP Dealer Development at (707) 525-8658.


7. How/why is ZAP able to sell it in the U.S.?
The Smart Car is manufactured in Europe where gasoline is $4 or more
per gallon. It has been on the market in most parts of the world since
1998, but to date has not been made available in the United States.
ZAP took the initiative to bring the car to the United States through
certified direct importers to make them available in the U.S. with
full certification and no exemptions. ZAP has forged an exclusive
technology licensing agreement with Smart-Automobile LLC allowing the
certification of the Smart Car to U.S. EPA and DOT standards as well
as the distribution rights to market the car.


8. The Smart Car Americanized by ZAP is so small; is it safe?
The designers of the Smart Car applied simple laws of physics to
create a smaller car that takes automotive safety to a whole new
level. In a collision, the car reacts in a different way than larger,
conventional cars. The spherical geometry of the vehicle’s “tridion
safety cell” is an aluminum safety-cage with steel reinforcements that
is designed to hold its shape like the crash-cage of a racecar. The
lighter weight combined with wheel wells in the four corners and
safety features like dual airbags, anti-lock brakes and more results
in a car that is safer than cars much larger than it.


9. How fast is the Smart Car Americanized by ZAP? Can it travel on the
freeway?
85 MPH. The Smart Car Americanized by ZAP is now legal on most U.S.
road and freeways, but designers governed the top speed to enhance the
fuel efficiency. Today’s urban drivers rarely have an opportunity to
reach freeway speeds and the Smart Car was designed with this in mind.
What it gives up in top speed, the car makes up for in drivability and
handling. The 6-speed, on-demand manual/automatic electronic
transmission combined with electronic stabilization creates sporty
package that is fun to drive.

 

===============

In further research I found the following US dealers:

Arizona

3D Auto Wholesalers, Inc.
813 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85257

Tel: (602) 318-4211
Fax: (480) 821-7766
Website: www.bigfourtrucks.com


Colorado

Elizabeth RV and Automotive Center Inc
Contact: S.T. (Satyendra) Tripathi
5475 Highway 86 Unit 1 and 2
Elizabeth, CO 80107

Tel: (303)646-8810
Website: www.elizabethrvauto.com

Florida

ZAP of Palm Beach/ Foreign Affairs Auto
1681 North Military Trail
West Palm Beach, FL 33409

Tel: (561) 478-9999 Main
Fax: (561) 689-7000
Website: www.foreignaffairsauto.com


Nevada

Rajun Cajun Used Cars & ZAP! of Reno
2615 Wrondel Way
Reno, NV 89502

Tel: (775) 828-5121
Fax: (775) 828-5322
Website: www.rajuncajunusedcars.com




Sprads RV and Auto Center
Contact: Keith Spradling
10000 South Virginia
Reno, NV 89511

Tel: (775)852-0606
Fax: (775)852-0770
Website: www.spradsrv.com


New Hampshire

McFarland Ford Sales, Inc.
Contact: Sue McFarland
151 Portsmouth Ave
Exeter, NH 03833

Tel: (603)772-5953
Fax: (603)772-1144
Website: www.mcfarlandford.com

Pennsylvania

Ferrante Motor Cars
Contact: Anthony Ferrante
601 Jackson Avenue
Vandergrift, PA 15690

Tel: (724) 567-5675
Toll-Free: (800) 715-5675
Fax: (724) 567-5531
Website: www.ferrantemotorcars.com

Washington

Green Car Company, LLC
11630 Slater Avenue NE #3
Kirkland, WA 98034

Tel: (425) 820-4549
Fax: (425) 825-1255
Website: www.greencarco.com

 

I've see two Smart Cars here in Nashua, NH. One is a rolling billboard
for a tanning salon and has Ontario plates on it. The other appeared to
be privately owned and had temporary NH plates on it.

If these ZAP people are for real, the Smart Car is a complete waste of
money. At that price, it would take hundreds of thousands of miles - and
probably decades of driving - to recover the $10-$12,000 difference in
price through fuel savings, compared to buying an Accent or similar
compact/sub-compact car. I seriously doubt that a Smart Car would last
long enough for that.

 

What is the fuel mileage? I finally navigated their web site (and what
a joke it is) enough to find a place where it said that fuel mileage for
the USA wasn't yet available.

I like their claims about "using physics" to make it safer than larger
cars. I really want to see the crash tests. I absolutely agree that
having a protective "cocoon" for the occupants is essential. However,
you also need a mechanism to decelerate that cocoon at a reasonable
rate. I believe that ZAP has accomplished the former, but I don't
believe they can do the latter. They simply don't have enough structure
between the "cage" and the front bumper. This car is going to come to a
complete stop in about a foot as compared to 2-3 feet for larger
vehicles. That will place tremendous strain on the occupants. Now if
they use a five-point belt system like NASCAR, require helmets, neck
rolls, etc., then maybe you can match the performance of more typical cars.


Matt

 

smart, according to Mercedez-Benz Canada:
City estimate: 4.6 l/100 km
Highway estimate: 3.7 l/100 km (manual)
3.8 l/100 km (automatic)

Accent hatchback, according to Hyundai Canada:
City estimate: 8.1 l/100 km (5-Speed Manual)
8.9 l/100 km (4-Speed Automatic)
Highway estimate: 6.5 l/100 km (manual)
6.2 l/100 km (4-Speed Automatic)

It looks like the smart is more fuel efficient than the Accent (which is
much faster). I see quite a few smart where I live and nothing else in that
price range will attract attention like a smart. This is a good reason for a
business to buy them (or anyone who wants to go unnoticed). In Canada, the
starting price of a smart is $3,700 CDN more than an Accent.

Ghislain

 

Let's see what we can find in the U.S.:

http://www.elizabethrvauto.com/list...ld23_keyword=New&2&lfield19_keyword=Smart Car

I see them selling at about $28K (taxes etc excluded).

In that same area,

http://www.arapahoehyundai.com/en_US/

has a 2005 Hyundai Accent 4dr Sedan GLS Auto listed at $13K:

http://www.arapahoehyundai.com/en_U...hyundai-arapahoe&widget-catcher=&id=521498854

Ignoring the fact that the sales tax on the smart car will be
higher, that's a $15K price difference.

At the current prices, that translates to about 5,000 more gallons
of gas.

Say, you get an average 30 mpg out of the Accent. That translates to
150,000 miles that the savings can fund.

Note that, this ignores the interest savings as well.

On the other hand, I see prices around $20K Canadian mentioned on some
websites (http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/05smartcabriolet.htm)

However, the same reviewer also notes:

<blockquote>
Situate a smart behind a large truck or a bus, and it gets
positively hinky on you, as the front wheels lift and the
vehicle gets pushed around in the turbulent air.
</blockquote>

....

<blockquote>
But don't forget, for $16,000 (let alone $21,000 for the cabriolet)
you can buy a very well equipped Toyota Echo Hatch, or even a base
Mazda3 sedan. They won't have the same cachet, I grant you, but if
you're thinking the smart's a bargain, these are some
comparably-priced options. The smart cabriolet will be the cheapest
convertible on the road, however.
</blockquote>

Sinan

 

Yea, it's unfortunate that ZAP has bumped the price up and out of reach of
reality. The thing costs much less elsewhere.

 

Actually, it's much more than that, as you you have to figure it out
based on the the difference in cost per mile, not just the absolute
number of gallons/miles you could drive with the savings, since you're
using gas in the Smart Car, too. I did some quick math the other day
based on $12K difference in price and $3/gallon gas and here are the
results of how far you would have to drive to make up the price difference:

50 mpg ($.06/mile) vs 40 mpg ($.075/mile) = 800,000 miles
50 mpg ($.06/mile) vs 35 mpg ($.0857/mile) = 467,000 miles
50 mpg ($.06/mile) vs 30 mpg ($.10/mile) = 300,000 miles
50 mpg ($.06/mile) vs 25 mpg ($.12/mile) = 200,000 miles
50 mpg ($.06/mile) vs 20 mpg ($.15/mile) = 133,000 miles
50 mpg ($.06/mile) vs 15 mpg ($.2/mile) = 96,000 miles

These mileage numbers are arbitrary, but the the same difference in cost
per mile will yield the same results, regardless of the actual numbers
involved. Of course, these figures will vary with the cost difference
between vehicles and the price of gas, but it's pretty clear that it
would be pretty DUMB to buy a SMART for $12,000 more than another vehicle.

The same method can be used to compute the payback on a hybrid, which is
not too good, either.

 

Mercedes Benz Brought the Smart here several years ago.The corporate
offices are in Montvale NJ and are about 5 blocks from me.They had a
parking lot full and even a 2 seater sport model.Some ere on the road as
they were seen drving around.Car and Driver did a report on one going
cross country,got a crappy rating.Gas milage ws only 32-40 at best was
slow no power uncomfortable and couldn't pass US government
tequirementsa.Mercedes actually CLEARED their parking lot OVERNIGHT when
the eision was announced.

RIPPER
FREEDOM WILL NEVER BE FREE!
BOYCOTT CALIFORNIA SPORT TOURING!

 

I just read the Car and Driver blurb on the Smart Car. They admitted that
it was a 'city' car and that the mileage was disappointing because they
averaged 84 mph! They had some good things to say about it and some bad
things that they said MB promised to address. The car isn't a MB, BMW, or
Rolls, it's a utilitarian means of ciy transportation. They also admitted
that it was an eye catcher and very unique. Oh well, to each his own.

 

Oh, and the mileage was 37 mpg at 84 mph.

 

I also read that MB pulled the plug on the fourseater version and are
rethinking the whole thing. Too bad. We'll just keep our heads in the sand
and feed those V10's.