Smart Might Only Offer Electric Cars in the Near Future
The Smart brand might be dumping its gasoline combustion engines.
According to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Smart is refocusing its brand in North America and will only offer electric vehicles before the end of the year. The newspaper cites a letter Mercedes-Benz USA sent to its dealerships that said the sale of Smart cars with combustion engines would stop this September.
That means only the electric version of the Smart fortwo coupe and convertibles will be offered by next year.
SEE ALSO: 2017 Smart Fortwo Cabrio Review
Smart fortwo sales have never been significant in North America. Last year, Smart sold just 6,211 units in the U.S. and 1,875 units in Canada. The brand got off to a respectable start in the U.S. in 2008 when it moved 24,622 units, but those numbers have since fizzled.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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EXTREMELY wrong decision...smart way to go would be to offer the diesel version in the U.S. - and consider dropping the ED version altogether. I love my gas smart and bought it because it IS a gas combustion engine (and the diesel wasn't available). After 9+ years of ownership (bought my 2008 smart in Jan. of '08), I have only two regrets: 1. the diesel remains unavailable in the U.S. 2. the ED (and to a lesser extent the 'hybrid') have diluted the smart brand and hurt sales. The U.S. market has too many drivers that want longer-distance-capable vehicles to run on the interstates or to make it 200+ miles to the country cabin and back without having to look for a charging station. We also still have lots of car owners that want to do their own maintenance on an engine they understand...combustion - not electric batteries. Make it ED-only and smart might as well just leave the U.S. market. If so, they should offer to buy-back any ED and hybrids already sold so that the owners won't be left with un-serviceable cars.
Horrible decision. Most of the US is not at all like Europe. We have many large open spaces in the US that contain very limited infrastructure. Many of us commute long distances by car because most of the US lacks any form of commuter rail or similar. My 2012 gasoline powered Smart was routinely driven 140 miles/day on my daily commute on the US Interstate system, often in stop and go traffic, very often in sub-freezing New England weather, at 65 MPH. I'm still using the original factory tires after 40,000 miles, they show little wear! My worksite provided no EV charging facilities, nor are there any public charging facilities within miles of my worksite, and it was located in a heavily populated urban area. If you want to essentially eliminate all Smart vehicle sales in the US, then go all-electric. I'll never own one. They don't have the needed range most of us require. The power plants that generate electricity for recharging them are not pollution free - and many are no cleaner than the internal combustion engines that power the US Smart. You're not reducing global carbon footprint with an EV, you're simply making it someone else's problem.