Who says you can never be too smart! :-)
I owned two smarts for a short while. I picked up a 2006 pure cabriolet with a black tridion, metallic blue panels, softouch, floor mats, luggage cover and underseat storage…
I’ve had A LOT of calls and e-mails on the coupe as of recent. Word must be out that the diesels are gone. (more…)
I’m not usually one to to take in You Tube videos, but this one is quite funny…
I guess getting 100 mpg versus 10 mpg isn’t enough after all!
Of course, you all know the smart car crash test video seen here by now? (See more here.)
You might also want to check out the official smart car crash tests, and those from Transport Canada.
A smart enthusiast from St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec has posted a record tank in his 2006 smart cdi, which has the 799 cc 3-cylinder turbo-diesel currently unavailable in the United States.
Over the course of five days, his car used just 23.8 litres to go 1063 kms. That’s an astounding 660 miles on 6.3 US gallons.
Fuel economy summary:
2.238 L/100 km
126 mpg imperial
105 mpg US
Incidently, this essentially matches the fuel economy I achieved almost exactly a year ago!
Serge wrote at clubsmartcar: (more…)
You can purchase a Scangauge here, and save fuel!
Click here if you are interested in another 2005 smart diesel I have for sale!
UPDATE: August 30th, 2007
NRG SVR has found a new home in Maple Ridge, BC. I was made an offer for the car and everything except the bike rack. Thank you all for your interest. (more…)
by Keith Hebert
Contact Keith by e-mail.
The presence of the smart car in Canada was brought about in part by the efforts of a Transport Canada initiative, known as the Advanced Technology Vehicles Program.
The Advanced Technology Vehicles Program (ATVP) has been in operation since June 2001. The goal of the ATVP is to support Transport Canada’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation sources and achieve a transportation system for Canada that is sustainable. The program is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from on-road vehicles by:
* evaluating the fuel efficiency, emissions and safety performance of advanced technology vehicles;
* identifying opportunities and market potential for the introduction and use of advanced technology vehicles;
* identifying barriers to the introduction and use of advanced technology vehicles and recommending remedies;
* raising public awareness of advanced technology vehicles; and
* supporting Transport Canada’s environmental programs.
ATVP staff like Brian Bond and John Neufeld have put out tremendous efforts to bring attention to alternative vehicles. ATVP engineers were testing the smart car as early as 2000, bringing in two models, a gasoline cabrio, and a diesel coupe.
Continued enthusiasm for the smart product led to the ATVP acquiring additional smart models, including the roadster and the forfour, although both have been dropped from production by smart™ gmbh. Pictured below are the additional models acquired by the ATVP, along side my own smart fortwo coupe when it was wrapped in graphics for the One-Tonne Challenge. I had a chance to visit the ATVP program and drive these vehicles back in September 2005 during my own cross-Canada journey.
Canada’s (not so New) Government has finally introduced incentives for purchasing fuel efficient vehicles, and what’s more… it’s not limited to just hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles.
Visit here for full details. Rebates of up to $2000 will be mailed out to those leasing or purchasing qualified 2006 and 2007 vehicles.
The 2006 smart cdi (diesel) does indeed qualify for the full $2000 rebate. See here for details.
It has been confirmed by Mike T over at clubsmartcar that there are over 10,000 smart cars in Canada, with somewhere around 1500 left to sell before the new 2008 (model 451) gasoline powered version hits out shores. There is every indication that the new version will also qualify for the full $2000 rebate.
I’ve been smartless for awhile, albeit temporarily… I may acquire a cabriolet version at some point. 100 mpg would be nice right about now. :-)
Here is an excel spreadsheet showing the fuel economy of my car for November 2006. Note that my best tank was over 93 mpg US on a round trip.
2005 smart fortwo coupe cdi (.8 litre 3-cylinder diesel)
3731 kms total
121.7 litres
3.26 L/100 km
(86.6 mpg imperial)
2319 miles
32.15 US gallons
72.1 mpg US
My goal is to get my day to day driving down to about 3.0 L/100 km, which is 78 mpg US or 94 mpg imperial. With some minor aerodynamic modifications to the car, I should be able get 100 mpg US or better on some highway trips.
The smart car mileage reported by various sources has varied, but please remember mine is a diesel, while the cars in the US currently are gasoline.
This story originally appeared at the clubsmartcar.com Cross-Canada Relay website.
Contact Keith by e-mail.
When smart first appeared on the streets of Europe in 1998, it was known as the ‘city-coupe’. And although many people will immediately remark that the smart ‘makes a great city car’, Canadian owners have shown that the car is more than dependable on long road trips.
Take for example, Rich Helms, a seasoned software developer with over 30 years of experience including Research and Development (R&D), sales and marketing, who also writes occasionally for the Toronto Sun Autonet Drive section.
Rich has his own blog, where you can read about his many travels into the USA, which at last count, include visits to 17 different states. (more…)
This article details the incredible pricing that the United States will see when the new smart car is launched in the spring of 2008.
Penske started out by explaining to us the general lay of the land for this deal. Whereas the rest of Smart’s established non-North American markets get the full new fortwo coupe lineup in April 2007, followed by the cabriolet versions six months later, North America gets three versions starting in the first quarter of 2008. These are: the basic fortwo coupe “pure” edition with steel wheels starting at around $11,000; the top-of-the-line fortwo coupe “passion” edition starting at around $13,000; and the fortwo cabriolet passion edition starting at around $15,000.
Speaking further with reporters in Stuttgart, Penske spoke about the plans for the initial launch in the USA:
The North American Smart fortwos may be delivering only in March or April of 2008, but Penske and DaimlerChrysler are organizing an advance 21-week road show to bring the fortwos into the hottest-prospect markets in the US starting as soon as February 2007. Four squads with a tractor trailer each will scour the right markets in the US during 21 weeks with three test cars in tow, as well as a display of the fortwo’s sturdy Tridion body structure. The aim is to get 66,000 prospects on advance Smart test drives. Citing Canada’s 2005 sales volume of current Smart fortwos of 4,000 units, Penske told us, “If you take that number, the US is ten times that by proportion. We’re not planning on 40,000 cars sold each year, but we’re figuring between 15,000 to 20,000 annual sales.”
Here is the Press Release concerning the next generation smart car.
The new smart will roll into North America as a 2008 model in both USA and Canada. It will be available initially with only the gasoline engine.
Future production will include a starter-generator system which will increase fuel economy by 13% in the city. The new model also incorporates a fuel economy indicator on the dash.
Here’s an excerpt from the press release:
Ecology:
Even lower fuel consumption
Production
The smart fortwo is produced at “smartville” in Hambach, France. System partners on site deliver the prefabricated modules directly to the production line. The production process has been optimised to such an extent that the entire final assembly process, which previously only took 4.5 hours, now takes just 3.5 hours. Environmental protection is a high priority in Hambach. For example, for the smart’s three basic colours – black, white and yellow – only water-soluble paints are used. Painting of the tridion safety cell takes the form of a powder-coating process. This removes the need for solvents. The bodypanels, with moulded-in colour, are fully recyclable. Parts of the underbody and the inner wheelhouses are produced entirely from recyclates. The instrument panel is made partly from the renewable raw material flax.Parking spaces/multi-storey car parks
Though the new smart fortwo is 19.5 centimetres longer than its predecessor, it is still unbeatable in terms of the amount of parking space it requires. Where any other small car would have to pass on by, the smart fits in. No other car in its class takes up less space on the road. It’s even still possible to park perpendicular to the flow of traffic. No more than 2.50 metres of the car will ever project into the road, provided that the wheels are right up against the kerb so that part of the vehicle’s body (either at the front or back) extends over it. The lower levels of air pollution that the smart produces in town are also worth a mention. While drivers of other cars need to drive around at length, producing unnecessary emissions, until they find a suitable parking space, the driver of a smart fortwo can generally find a parking space straight away. Car park operators often offer special smart parking spaces, which would be too small for other cars, at a reduced price.smart fortwo cdi with “three-litre” status
The smart fortwo is one of the most economical cars on the road today. The petrol version engines consume less than five litres per 100 kilometres. The diesel version, with its common-rail direct injection, remains unbeatable. Despite its slightly increased weight compared to that of its predecessor, the engine engineers have succeeded in reducing yet further the fuel consumption of this three-cylinder diesel engine. Its carbon dioxide (CO2) emission amounts to just 90 grams per kilometre, which corresponds to a fuel consumption of less than 3.5 litres. The petrol engines and the diesel engine all comply with exhaust gas standard Euro 4. Furthermore, a diesel particle filter (open system) is available for the smart fortwo cdi, which stops some 40 percent of soot emissions. As of 2008, the smart fortwo cdi will be available with a closed system. From the end of 2007, a version of the 52 kW petrol engine with a starter generator will be available. This allows fuel consumption in city traffic to be reduced by up to 13 percent.
