Rendered Speculation: Return of the Smart ForFour?
Earlier this decade, Smart decided to expand it’s lineup with the addition of aroadster based on the original two-seat city car and a four-door, four-seat model. The ForFour was based on a front-engine, front drive Mitsubishi platform rather than the rear engine ForTwo architecture. AutoExpress is reporting that Smart may be getting ready to introduce a new four-seat variant, this time based on a stretched version of the existing model. The so-called ForTwo + 2 would be meant to compete more directly with the numerous small city cars coming from Toyota, Volkswagen, Audi and others in the next couple of years. Unlike most of the others, the ForTwo +2 would feature rear hinged back doors to ease access to the second row. The new model probably won’t hit the market until 2012, but will almost certainly include an electric version along with the usual gas and diesel versions. [Source: AutoExpress ] Auto Blog: Diesel , EV/Plug-in , SMART Rendered Speculation: Return of the Smart ForFour? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Rendered Speculation: Return of the Smart ForFour?
Win a maple leaf smart fortwo edit10n, eh
Click above for a gallery of the Canadian edit10n To celebrate the tenth year of the smart brand, Mercedes-Benz is making some incredibly limited editions of the fortwo called edit10n. For the Canada-specific version of the edit10n, only be ten copies will be made. What makes this edit10n Canadian? The maple leaf details , of course. The new special edition vehicle, based on the smart fortwo BRABUS coupé, uses Arctic Grey Metallic paint on the outside and Chalet brown leather with contrasting grey Alcantara piping and stitching on the interior. The car was unveiled at the Toronto Auto Show this week. The powerplant is the same as the one used in the standard BRABUS fortwo. Canadian readers can try to win the first Canadian fortwo edit10n here ; the other nine will be sold to people who win a reservation lottery that will take place on that same website. 500 copies of the German edit10n were built last fall. Gallery: Canadian smart fortwo edit10n [Source: Mercedes-Benz, Win With Smart via AutoGuide ] Continue reading Win a maple leaf smart fortwo edit10n, eh Auto Blog: MPG , SMART , Green Daily , North America Win a maple leaf smart fortwo edit10n, eh originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green | Car Blog Green
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Win a maple leaf smart fortwo edit10n, eh
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Leave a commentToyota FT-EV
Toyota announced today that it will display the Toyota FT-EV concept at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, January 11 – 25, hinting that it might offer an urban all-electric commuter vehicle in the next few years. The FT-EV concept shares its platform with the company’s minicar, the Toyota iQ . Toyota introduced the gas-version of the iQ in Japan in November 2008, and plans to roll out the minicar to Europe this month. Plans for North America are undetermined. The iQ is larger than the quintessential minicar, the Smart Fortwo, but not by much. Its wheelbase is a little more than five inches longer, and on the whole, the car is only about a foot longer than the Smart—11.4 inches to be exact. The iQ is a four-passenger vehicle while the Smart only carries two. The electric version on display at the Detroit Auto Show, the Toyota FT-EV concept, offers driving range of 50 miles, according to Toyota. “Last summer’s four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline was no anomaly. It was a brief glimpse of our future,” said Irv Miller, group vice president of environmental and public affairs at Toyota. The company is expected to dabble with pure electric and smaller vehicles like the iQ, but conventional gas-electric hybrids, like the Prius, are considered Toyota’s long-term core powertrain technology. Corporate B-roll footage of the Toyota FT-EV electric city car. read more
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Toyota FT-EV
Posted in Hybrids | a-foot-longer, a-little-more, a-section-for, detroit, detroit-auto, europe, like-the-prius, north, smart-fortwo, while-the-smart | Leave a commentGM Leaks News of Volt-Style Cadillac
Several sources inside General Motors told BusinessWeek auto writer David Kiley that the company will show a Cadillac two-door plug-in series hybrid at next week’s Detroit Auto Show. According to Kiley, the concept vehicle—a new model similar to the CTS sedan although “smaller” and “bolder”—suggests that the company plans to use electric-drive technology, to be utilized in the upcoming Chevrolet Volt, in other vehicles. Detail of Cadillac CTS Kiley writes, “One GM executive says the Caddy’s drop-dead dramatic styling will make “‘people want it regardless of the energy source.’” Kiley’s report is a leak of what might have been one of the biggest surprises of the Detroit Auto Show. GM’s Chevy Volt , a plug-in series hybrid or range-extended electric car, made a big splash at the Detroit Auto Show two years ago, but this year’s show will be dominated by new hybrid and plug-in cars from Honda, Toyota, Ford, Mercedes, Chrysler, and Chinese automaker BYD. The Cadillac concept could bring much-needed attention to the General Motors booth. General Motors is still approximately two years away from releasing the Chevy Volt, which is due in November 2010. GM’s plans to introduce the Volt, and to introduce any other hybrid or electric vehicles, occur as GM is “reeling from billions in losses and needs government loans to stay afloat,” according to Kiley. read more
Posted in Hybrids | a-foot-longer, a-little-more, a-new-model, a-section-for, cadillac, chevrolet, detroit, europe, hybrid-or-range, smart-fortwo | Leave a commentSurvey: Consumers Are Waiting for More Affordable Hybrids
A new survey by Consumer Reports found that 48 percent of consumers said they will continue to wait before making their next vehicle purchase. That’s not surprising considering the dismal slump in new car sales in recent months. What is surprising is the number of people who said they are delaying their car purchase to wait for fuel-saving technologies like hybrids to become more affordable. Nearly one in five—or 18 percent—are holding out for an affordable hybrid. The other chief reasons consumers are waiting, according to the survey: Current vehicle is in good shape (39 percent) Concern over the weak economy (30 percent) Vehicles, in general, are too expensive (30 percent) Interest rates on auto financing are too high (18 percent) Which brands will consumers look for to deliver those affordable green cars? Twice as many car-shoppers associate Toyota with being environmentally friendly as second-ranked Honda. Consumer Reports explained, “That image is probably due to Toyota’s role as a pioneer in hybrid technology and its strong-selling Prius hybrid .” The Prius is the most popular hybrid on the market. Rounding out the top five brands viewed by consumers as green are Ford, Chevrolet and GMC—all are brands that offer hybrids. read more
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Survey: Consumers Are Waiting for More Affordable Hybrids
Bush Passes Final CAFE Decision to Obama
The Bush Administration has decided not to establish the final rules on new stricter fuel economy standards set to take effect in 2011. Though an energy bill mandating an average fuel efficency of 35 miles per gallon for cars and trucks by 2020 was signed by President Bush in late 2007, specific figures and dates were not determined for the phase-in period between 2011 and 2015. President Bush passed the responsibility of determining specific timelines and rules to President-elect Obama. President Bush was initially expected to make a determination before the end of 2008, but that changed when the slumping economy threatened the survival of Detroit’s Big Three automakers. The US Department of Transportation issued a statement: “The recent financial difficulties of the automobile industry will require the next administration to conduct a thorough review of matters affecting the industry,” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had announced its formula to calculate fuel efficiency standards based on the footprint of vehicle lines —rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. But implementation of—and any changes to—those weight-based rules will now be left to Obama. Obama’s admistration will only have until April 1 to come up with the final rules and numbers, adding to the heavy load that is already on the new administration’s “to do” list. The April Fools Day deadline was established because the law stipulates that car manufacturers must receive at least 18 months notice before new standards take effect. As reported by Automotive News , the Bush Administration issued a statement saying that it has “laid the groundwork for the next transportation department to come up with a ruling by the deadline.” read more
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Bush Passes Final CAFE Decision to Obama
Posted in Hybrids | a-with-being, affordable, chevrolet, consumers-look, detroit, final, smart-fortwo, traffic, with-the-final | Leave a commentGet Approved!
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