smart to US? | Green Energy News

June 27, 2004 – Vol.9 No.14

smart TO US?

The advanced technology vehicle company and electric vehicle retailer ZAP, based in California, has claimed that has taken ownership its first shipment of 94 smart cars. (Yes, officially small s.)

The company is intent on selling the two-seat, 60-miles-per-gallon fortwo to U.S. consumers - up to 15,000 by 2005.

Really?

The car, distributed outside the United States by the smart division of DaimlerChrysler, has apparently been made crash-test compliant, but not yet emission compliant. Compliance was by a company known as SMART-Automobile LLC (Capital S). ZAP is to be the distributor for that company.

Crash testing and compliance modifications to the fortwo have also been completed by a Baltimore company, J.K. Technologies, which has plans to import, modify and sell the cars.

But potential buyers for the cars should have some questions.

What about a warranty? (Obviously smart won’t be honoring the factory warranty.) Repairs? Parts? Access to factory service data and information?

Then there’s a larger question. What happens if smart (with permission of DaimlerChrysler) suddenly decides to sell the cars here in the U.S.?

Though smart has said it will start selling a small SUV here in the U.S. in a few years, with no plans for the fortwo, this editor has a gut feeling that smart is reconsidering the fortwo decision.

The company has already exposed the fortwo to the American public in a number of high profile events. And the company hired a market research firm to conduct an online survey to test-the-waters of potential smart buyers in the U.S.

The survey clearly points to the fortwo diesel as the vehicle it would sell here. Among many questions, the survey tries to find a price point for the cars: what would consumers be willing to pay?

Visit ZAP at http://www.zapworld.com/ , smart at http://www.smart.com/ .