Smart: EV coming to public?

Currently just planned to be available to fleet customers there might be chance for the rest of us in the future.

Anyone hoping to drive the Smart EV anytime soon will have been disappointed by the fact that only 200 of the things are initially going to be released, and then only to commercial fleets. However, there is a glimmer of hope for the rest of us. The Smart website now boasts a section on the Smart EV and there are some tantalising hints that they are planning a release to the general public some time in the future:

"Although the smart ev won't be available to the public just yet, it's definitely something we're working on. What's more, towards the end of 2006, some London-based smart owners will be able to try it out as a courtesy car when they bring their current smart in for service. We'll be interested to hear what you think."
Whilst there's no timetable set out for a more general release, the website does have a section to register your interest. Now if enough people were to put their name down to receive updates, perhaps this would send a message to the manufacturers that there is a genuine market out there. We can but hope. As an aside, it's nice to see that Smart will only lease the first batch of cars to companies who agree to buy 100% green power for them: "When we say zero emissions, we really mean it!"

Related news: Foursprung, P4MR, Smart, electric vehicles

Source: Treehugger

Read more

Read what others are saying about it: Bloglines, Feedster, Technorati