Smart (automobile)

Smart
Type Division of Daimler AG
Industry Automotive
Founded 1994
Headquarters Böblingen, Germany
Website Smart.com
Smart Fortwo
Smart Fortwo cabriolet
Smart Car custom LCB (Lindt chocolate Bunny) edition.
A Stack of Smart Cars Canberra
Smart Crossblade
A Smart fortwo mhd cabrio (left) and a Smart fortwo mhd coupe (right).

Smart[1], an automotive brand of Daimler AG, is a manufacturer of microcars produced in Hambach, France and Böblingen, Germany. It is marketed as the "smart" in all lower-case, with the Smart brand logo, as of 2010, denoting a letter "c" for "compact" and an arrow for "forward thinking".

Contents

Origins

In the late 1980s SMH (makers of the Swatch brand of watches) CEO Nicolas Hayek began developing an idea for a new car using the same type of manufacturing strategies and personalization features used to popularize Swatch watches. He believed that the automotive industry had ignored a sector of potential customers who wanted a small and stylish city car. This idea soon became known as the "Swatchmobile". Hayek's private company Hayek Engineering AG began designing the new car for SMH, with seating for two and a hybrid drivetrain.[2]

While design of the car was proceeding Hayek feared existing manufacturers would feel threatened by the Swatchmobile, thus rather than directly competing he preferred to cooperate with another company in the automotive industry. This would also relieve SMH of the cost burden in setting up a distribution network. Hayek approached several automotive manufacturers and on July 3, 1991 he reached an agreement with Volkswagen to share development of the new project.[3]

By 1993 Ferdinand Piëch had become CEO of Volkswagen and he immediately sought to terminate the project with SMH. Volkswagen had already been working on their own "three-litre car": a car which would consume three litres of fuel per 100 km of driving (the eventual Volkswagen Lupo 3L). Volkswagen's own concept was believed to be a better business proposition, featuring four seats and more cargo room.[4]

Hayek had suspected that Piëch would seek to end the agreement with SMH upon his ascendancy to the CEO position, therefore he discreetly began approaching other car companies with the Swatchmobile project. Rebuffed by BMW, Fiat, General Motors and Renault, he finally reached an informal agreement with Daimler-Benz AG, maker of Mercedes-Benz cars.[5]

A deal was announced on March 4, 1994, at a press conference at Mercedes-Benz headquarters in Stuttgart that the companies would join forces in founding Micro Compact Car AG (MCC). 49% of the initial capital of 50 million Swiss francs were provided by SMH and the remaining 51% by Daimler-Benz. The company consisted of two subsidiaries: MCC GmbH based in Renningen (a suburb of Stuttgart) which would design the car, and the then-unnamed manufacturing plant. SMH Auto SA, owned by Hayek, would design a hybrid electric drive system for the car, while Hayek Engineering would audit the design and manufacturing.[6]

The press conference also featured the debut of two concept cars: the eco-sprinter and eco-speedster, styled by Mercedes-Benz's design studio in California.[7] The cars were reminiscent of the eventual Smart City-Coupé. No mention was made of the fact that SMH had no input in the design of these concepts[8], and they were badged as Mercedes-Benzes.

By the end of April 1994 MCC had set up a head office in Biel, Switzerland.[9]

Company history

Three co-directors were immediately named to head the new company: designer and engineer Johann Tomforde and financial administrator Christoph Baubin from Daimler-Benz, and marketing manager Hans Jürg Schär, who spearheaded the original Swatch marketing campaigns in the mid-1980s. Tomforde had been working on the Mercedes City Car (coincidentally abbreviated MCC) project at Daimler-Benz since 1990, which produced the aforementioned eco-sprinter and eco-speedster concepts as well as the Vision-A concept, which eventually became the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.[10]

One of the first controversies at MCC was the name of the car itself. Nicolas Hayek insisted it retain 'Swatch' in some way: "Swatchmobile", or "Swatch Car". Daimler-Benz refused, and pushed for a neutral name.[11] The final name settled upon was Smart, an acronym that had been previously used internally by MCC for Swatch Mercedes Art.[12]

BY May of 1994 the co-directors had identified 74 potential sites for the assembly plant. The final site was announced on December 20, 1994: Hambach, France.[13] The purpose-built factory quickly gained the nickname "Smartville".

Tomforde devised a modular system of assembly for the car, insisting suppliers design and assemble, and even install their own modules onto the final car, at the new plant using their own employees thus reducing the cost overhead for the parent companies and divesting MCC of the financial and legal liabilities for those parts. It also provided a fiscal framework whereby MCC could share the development costs with the suppliers, rather than having to fund the entire project themselves.[14] MCC secured contracts with suppliers to design and supply almost all parts of the car: seats by Faurecia, interiors by VDO, chassis and door modules by Magna, door panels by Dynamit Nobel, and suspension by Krupp.[15]

Despite offloading a substantial amount of the development on the suppliers MCC required more capital. Recapitalization by Daimler-Benz increased their share of ownership in the company to 81%, leaving SMH with only the remaining 19%.[16]

The assembly plant opened October 27, 1997, with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting by then-French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.[17] Introduction of the new Smart city-Coupé was planned for March, 1998, however dynamic instability of the prototypes prompted Daimler-Benz to announce postponing the launch until October, 1998. Johann Tomforde was replaced as chief engineer by Gerhard Fritz. [18] Fritz lowered the centre of gravity, widened the track, stiffened the suspension, changed the steering, and added ballast weight to the front of the car in order to increase its stability in emergency avoidance manoeuvres (notably the Swedish "moose test").[19]

The car launched successfully in nine European countries in October 1998, however the final design did not fulfill Hayek's expectations. Hayek pushed for a hybrid drivetrain but the final product used a relatively conventional gasoline engine. Shortly afterward Daimler-Benz bought out SMH's remaining stake in the company.[20] MCC was now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler-Benz (which soon merged with Chrysler Corporation to become DaimlerChrysler). The office in Biel was shut down and operations were consolidated at the MCC GmbH design centre in Germany. On January 1, 1999 MCC GmbH changed its name to MCC smart GmbH,[21], and by 2000 it dropped the last vestiges of the association with SMH, becoming smart GmbH.[22]

The model line was eventually expanded to include the Roadster and a front-engine, front-drive, four-door, four-seat supermini aptly named Forfour (the original City-Coupé was rechristened Fortwo to fit the new naming scheme).

The ambitious expansion did not increase profits at the company: indeed, smart GmbH lost nearly 4 billion euros from 2003 to 2006.[23] Plans were enacted to increase the company's profitability and integrate its operations with DaimlerChrysler.

In 2005 DaimlerChrysler decided against purchasing a 50% share in the Dutch NedCar plant used to manufacture the ForFour, ending its production. A planned SUV called Formore was terminated as the assembly plant in Brazil was being fitted with machines, and production of the Roadster was discontinued. In 2006, after dwindling sales and heavy financial losses, Smart GmbH was liquidated and its operations were absorbed by DaimlerChrysler directly.

Smart now operates under the Mercedes-Benz Cars division of Daimler AG, offering the Fortwo as its only product.

Models

Apart from the original short Smart Fortwo, a sporty Smart Roadster, a limited production of 2000 concept Smart Crosstown and a supermini Smart Forfour were also offered. These have now been discontinued. There were also plans to introduce the french made cross-over based on the body of the ForFour and the AWD hardware of the Mercedes C-class with the name of Formore but industrialization of this was cancelled at the 11th hour (even as tooling was being installed in the assembly plant) due to unfavourable exchange rate swings and spending cutbacks driven by losses elsewhere within Smart.

Production Models

Production Model Picture
1998–2000 Smart City-Coupé & City-Cabrio* (*from 2000) Smart-1st-Generation.jpg
2002 Smart Crossblade Smart crossblade1.jpg
2001–2007 Smart City-Coupé & City-Cabrio (renamed Fortwo in 2004) Smart-2nd-Generation.jpg
2001–2004 Smart K (Japan only) Smart K 002.JPG
2003–2005 Smart Roadster Smart Roadster front 20070511.jpg
2004–2006 Smart Forfour Smart ForFour bluesilver vr.jpg
2008–present Smart Fortwo Smart Fortwo II Cabrio.JPG
2008–present (in limited trials[24]) Smart Fortwo ED (formerly known as EV) Smart Electric Drive.jpg

Concept and unproduced models

Electric versions

Smart ED

An electric, rechargeable version is being released in the UK as a lease vehicle on a limited basis. At the Smart Car Brooklands event in July 2008, a Smart EV was on display within "MercedesWorld" and a representative stated that the car would be for sale in the UK in 2010. Daimler will start the production of the electric Smart equipped with lithium-ion batteries in 2009 and production will ramp up to mass production by 2012.[25] A Smart Forfour has been converted into a plug-in hybrid by Lithium Technology Corporation and Zytek Systems. The lithium-ion battery can propel the vehicle up to 84 miles per hour (135 km/h) and last on its own for up to 20 miles (32 km). The engine is a combination of a 68-horsepower (51 kW), 1.5-liter (92 cu in), 3-cylinder turbo charged diesel engine and two high-efficiency permanent-magnet electric motors. It was awarded by the Energy Saving Trust for the “Ultra Low Carbon Car Challenge” project.[26]

Daimler AG and RWE AG have launched the world's largest joint project for environmentally friendly electric cars. Daimler will provide more than 100 electric cars from Mercedes-Benz and Smart as well as the vehicle service.The new generation of Smart ED (electric drive) and electric-battery driven vehicles from Mercedes-Benz will come in use within the "e-mobility Berlin" project. RWE is handling the development, installation and operation of the charging infrastructure". The new project is also benefiting from the experience gained by Daimler during the current pilot project involving electro-mobility in London. Since last year, there has been a test fleet of first-generation Smart Fortwo ed cars . The start of serial production of battery-powered vehicles by Mercedes-Benz and Smart is in 2010.[27]

Smart ED is going to be sold in the European Union in 2010-07-01.[28]

Competitors

Electric vehicle conversions

eSmart is a Smart Fortwo electric conversion. It has a 40 km range with AGM batteries (100 km with Li-ion batteries)

Smart in Asia

Japan

Older Smart cars equipped with engine sizes smaller than 660 cubic centimetres (40 cu in) fit into the Kei car category of cars in Japan, and are eligible for a range of lower taxes. However, recent models with a larger engine do not meet the Kei qualifications. Because of high taxation on older cars in Japan, many older used Smart cars are exported to other countries with right-hand drive, like Great Britain and South Africa. An official version of the Smart Fortwo called the 'Smart K' has been released to fit the Kei car category. English musician, Steve Appleton (musician) is featured in a Smart TV commercial, running in Japan during 2010.

China

Smart was shown in April 2008 at the Beijing Auto Show 2008. Smart Fortwo started the pre-sales in October 2008 and the Smart vending machine road show in 12 cities from October 2008 to February 2009.

Hong Kong

Smart is already available in Hong Kong with one authorized dealer.

Smart in North America

Canada

The Smart Fortwo

The Smart Fortwo was introduced in Canada in late 2004 and was sold through Mercedes-Benz dealers. Demand has been heavy with up to 6-month waiting lists in major urban areas in the spring of 2005. The vehicle has been especially popular for light errand running for small shops and businesses, with many carrying custom paint jobs or stick-on graphics boldly advertising the associated product or service. However, recently the demand seems to have tapered off, and some 2005 Smart Fortwos have popped up in the used car market. Canadian Smart CDIs cannot be registered in some states in the US.

As of June 1, 2007, 9,200 Smart Fortwo CDIs had been sold in Canada, and as of the end of the model 450 production run, 10,239 of these cars were in this country. This large stock is because as the model 450 ended production, after a run of 770,256 cars, Mercedes-Benz Canada built-up stock to tide dealers over until the successor model 450 arrived at the end of 2007.

The Canadian version of the Smart Fortwo cdi sold to 915 customers over three months in 2004; 4080 were sold in 2005; and 3023 in 2006. Virtually all the deliveries in 2004 and many of the deliveries in 2005 were to long-time Smart fans who had been waiting for their car for years, which largely accounts for the higher numbers. Although sales tapered off in late 2006 and the first couple of months of 2007, they rebounded strongly in March 2007 and this trend continued through April, culminating with May 2007, marking the car's strongest sales performance ever in Canada, at well over 500 units. Sales are strongest (per capita) in Western Canada, with Vancouver Island and Vancouver being especially hot markets for Smart.

The 2007 (Europe) and 2008 (North America) Smart Fortwo 451 saw an engine displacement increase to 1 full litre up from 700 cc with the attendant loss of fuel economy. Sales of the diesel engine was restricted in certain markets in favor of the Mitsubishi gasoline unit. Currently, in North America, Smarts are sold with the larger gas engine in the US and Canada, with the smaller, more fuel efficient diesel being sold in Mexico, Europe and other World markets.

United States

Smart Fortwo (2nd generation) parked in downtown Washington, D.C.

Before 2008, Smart cars were only available in the United States as "grey market" imports, such as ZAP. U.S. federal regulations allow certain grey market importing in large quantities provided the vehicles are modified and tested to conform to U.S. safety and emissions regulations. Smart cars were imported into the United States by "The Defiance Company LLC", modified by G&K Automotive Conversion in Santa Ana, California, and distributed and sold by independent dealerships which were not affiliated with Mercedes. U.S. regulations did not permit the purchase and import of used Smart CDi vehicles from Canada, as the diesel powered Canadian Smarts did not meet American emissions regulations.

In June 2006, DaimlerChrysler confirmed that Smart would be officially launched in the United States in the first quarter of 2008. The cars are offered through a dealership holding company Penske Automotive Group, which created a new U.S. dealership network for the brand under the name Smart USA.[30] Initially, an updated gasoline powered Fortwo was offered, starting around US$12,000.[31] The new model made its debut at European auto shows in November 2006.

"Hybrid Technologies" plans to sell an electric version of the Smart vehicle in the U.S. starting at US$35,000. It is being called a hybrid car even though the vehicle is all-electric. The electric Smart car will have a range of 120 to 150 miles (190–240 km), a top speed of 80 mph (130 km/h), and charge in 5 to 6 hours using a standard 110 V AC outlet. An electric Smart is currently undergoing testing in the UK and will only be offered to commercial clients as a trial for the time being.[32][33] The electric model is scheduled for a U.S. release for the 2012 model year with some test market cars surfacing in 4th quarter 2010.

A Forbes article has been critical of the stated reasons that Daimler-Chrysler gave for introducing the car in the United States.[34] The Smart fortwo is the most fuel-efficient gasoline-engined car for sale in the US; however, according to the EPA, the Smart's fuel efficiency is lower than the fuel efficiency of some hybrids such as the Ford Fusion hybrid Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid, and the 2-seat Honda Insight (making it the fourth most fuel efficient vehicle in the U.S.), which achieve 45/48, 45/40, and 61/70 respectively while the Smart achieves 33 city and 41 highway, though the Smart fortwo, which is not a hybrid, costs about half as much as a hybrid in the US.

The unique design of the Smart has received much attention in the U.S. In its April 2008 issue, Men's Vogue raised the question: in a nation where your supersized car is your castle, is the Smart too mini for a man?[35]

To obtain a Smart originally required obtaining a "reservation" costing $99 through a dealer or over the internet. The waiting time in January 2009 was approximately 12 months, however as of July 2009 there was no wait to obtain a vehicle and dealers have them in stock for immediate delivery.

On January 25, 2010 smart USA began its first lease program in the US market for smart fortwo models.[36] The program was scheduled to last through February 28, 2010, but has been extended indefinitely despite lack of leasing sales.

Smart USA , has appointed its first dealer in Puerto Rico. The company said that the new dealer will be located at Avenida 65th de Infanteria Km 5.9, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00929 and is part of the Penske Automotive Group. It will also be a part of Triangle Automotive Group, an automotive retailer in Puerto Rico.[37] Smart Center Puerto Rico has by far been the best selling Smart store through its first two months.

As of recently, dealers have begun to sell 4-seat smart cars in the United States.

Mexico

Smart offers the hardtop and convertible models of the Fortwo coupé in Mexico.[38]

The Smart cars were first introduced to the country in 2003, and were sold in department stores Sanborns and Liverpool. Later Mercedes Benz dealers started to offer the car ,which although very attractive to the public was considered very expensive and was seen as a toy car only for young people.

Currently Smart cars are still offered in the country but with little acceptance, with only the Fortwo model available.

Smart cars have fierce competition with the Hyundai Atos, Pontiac Matiz, and Chevrolet Chevy, which are compacts with low gas consumption at less than half the cost of a Smart Car but with more space for passengers.

Smart in Australia

Since 2003 Smart has been for sale in Australia. All Smart models that have been produced have been sold in Australia. The Smart is currently sold through Mercedes-Benz Dealerships. Recently Smart has become popular among young people in urban areas of Australia, particularly in its largest cities.

Safety

Cutaway showing structure of the Smart

Smart vehicles use a very small front crumple zone. The new Smart Fortwo has been awarded 4 out of 5 stars in the Euro NCAP Adult Occupant Protection, 2 out of 4 stars in the Pedestrian protection test but it was not tested for Child Occupant Protection as it has no rear seats.[39] The original Smart was awarded 3 out of 5 stars for Adult Occupant Protection.[40] In American tests using a five star rating, Smart cars received a four star safety rating for the driver from a front impact, and a five star safety rating for the driver for a side impact.[41] It also received "Good" ratings (top rating) for front and side crash protection in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests.[42] However, in an April 2009 40 mph frontal offset crash test between a Fortwo and a Mercedes C class, the IIHS rated the Smart Fortwo "Poor," noting that "Multiple injuries, including to the head, would be likely for a real-world driver of a Smart in a similar collision."[43] However, the fortwo's crash had been replicated by the Euro NCAP against a S-Class with just the opposite results .

The main structure of the car is a stiff structure called a Tridion Safety Cell, which is designed to activate the crumple zones of a colliding vehicle. This design creates a very strong safety cell around the passengers.[44]

Modification

Smart cars have been modified by Brabus of Germany, resulting in Brabus production models. Other companies modify the Smart to use motorcycle engines, such as the Suzuki Hayabusa 1340 cc inline four-cylinder. These cars are known as Smartuki. The most powerful models can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in less than 3.5 seconds.

Some companies and individuals upgrade the original engine to Brabus spec, but these have been taken even further by some with many aftermarket upgrade options available.

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "smart corporate home page". http://www.smart.com. 
  2. ↑ Lewin, pp 39-40
  3. ↑ Lewin, pp 40-45
  4. ↑ Lewin, pp 55-59
  5. ↑ Lewin, p 77
  6. ↑ Lewin, pp 79-80
  7. ↑ Lewin, pp 67-70
  8. ↑ Lewin, p 68
  9. ↑ Lewin, p 69
  10. ↑ Lewin, p 75
  11. ↑ Lewin, pp 85-86
  12. ↑ "SMART". Acronyms.thefreedictionary.com. http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/Swatch+Mercedes+Art+(Daimler-Benz+automobile+model). Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  13. ↑ Lewin, p 91
  14. ↑ Lewin, pp 88-90
  15. ↑ Lewin, pp 107-108
  16. ↑ Lewin, pp 100
  17. ↑ Lewin, p 95
  18. ↑ Lewin, pp 115-119
  19. ↑ Lewin, pp 119-120
  20. ↑ Lewin, p 132
  21. ↑ "Smart Cars". Electrick Publications. http://www.speedace.info/smart_cars.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-20. 
  22. ↑ Lewin, p 169
  23. ↑ "Smart's three-year loss more than $5 billion, report says | Car News Blog at Motor Trend". Blogs.motortrend.com. http://blogs.motortrend.com/6209443/car-news/Smarts-three-year-loss-more-than-5-billion-report-says/index.html. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  24. ↑ Nunez, Alex (2006-07-13). "News article". Autoblog.com. http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/13/Smart-Fortwo-ev-set-to-electrify-british-motor-show/. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  25. ↑ "City-Flitzer mit Batterie: Daimler will mit Elektro-Smart in Serie gehen - SPIEGEL ONLINE - Nachrichten - Auto". Spiegel.de. http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/0,1518,576074,00.html. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  26. ↑ "A plug-in Hybrid that can go 84". Gadgetell. 2006-12-12. http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/a-plug-in-hybrid-that-can-go-84/. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  27. ↑ Abuelsamid, Sam (2008-09-05). "Daimler announces deal with RWE, 500 Berlin charging points, lithium Smart". Autobloggreen.com. http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/09/05/daimler-announces-deal-with-rwe-500-berlin-charging-points-lit/. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  28. ↑ http://movele.ayesa.es/movele2/muestraVehiculos.php
  29. ↑ "Exclusive: VW's Smart". Autocar. 2008-11-25. http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle.aspx?AR=236168. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  30. ↑ Smart Vehicles Go USA
  31. ↑ "Smart Fortwo pure". Smartusa.com. 2009-01-01. http://www.Smartusa.com/Smart-car-Fortwo-pure.html. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  32. ↑ The Smart EV: Coming Soon to the Public?
  33. ↑ ""Pull Plug On High Gas Prices"". CBS News. 2006-07-18. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/18/earlyshow/main1813005.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  34. ↑ Is Smart A Dumb Idea? - Forbes.com
  35. ↑ ""Smart: too mini for a man?"". mensvogue.com. http://www.mensvogue.com/design/articles/2008/04/Smart. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  36. ↑ "smart lease program". smartusa.com. 2010-01-25. http://smartusa.com/lease. Retrieved 2010-01-25. 
  37. ↑ "Smart USA appoints new dealer in Puerto Rico". New Statesman. 24 February 2010. http://www.newstatesman.com/automotive/2010/02/puerto-rico-smart-dealer. Retrieved 25 February 2010. 
  38. ↑ "Mexico homepage". Smart.com. http://www.Smart.com/-snm-0156420588-1163148103-0000027350-0000007335-1165696450-enm-is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/mpc-mx-content-Site/-/-/-/SVCPresentationPipeline-Start?Page=issite%3a%2f%2fSmart-Site%2fSmart%2ecom%2fRootFolder%2fSmart%2fhome%2epage. Retrieved 2009-03-12. 
  39. ↑ "Smart Fortwo test results". Euro NCAP. http://www.euroncap.com/tests/Smart_Fortwo_2007/303.aspx. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
  40. ↑ "Smart City Coupe test results". Euro NCAP. http://www.euroncap.com/tests/Smart_city_coupe_2000/29.aspx. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 
  41. ↑ "Smart Fortwo crash ratings". Safercar.gov. http://www.safercar.gov/portal/site/safercar/menuitem.db847bd57e3dc1f885dfc38c35a67789/?vgnextoid=c95df2905bf54110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&model=7473. Retrieved 2008-04-30. 
  42. ↑ "First Institute crash tests of Smart car: diminutive two-seater earns top ratings for protecting people in front & side crashes". Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr051408.html. Retrieved 2008-05-14. 
  43. ↑ "IIHS Status Report, Special Issue: Car Size, Weight, and Safety" (PDF). Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. http://www.iihs.org/externaldata/srdata/docs/sr4404.pdf. Retrieved 2009-04-17. 
  44. ↑ "Smart Fortwo safety design". http://www.Smartusa.com/Smart-Fortwo-safety-design.aspx. Retrieved 2008-04-26. 

Sources: Dealer

They now sell 4 seater smart cars in the usa