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Smart Drops EV for a Year
Daimler AG's Smart brand has dropped the all-electric version of its ForTwo city car until the 2017 model launches late next year, Autobild reports.
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Daimler AG's Smart brand has dropped the all-electric version of its ForTwo city car until the 2017 model launches late next year, Autobild reports. Company officials tell the German magazine that production of the slow-selling EV has been stopped and existing inventory will be exhausted by year-end.
Daimler is working with partner Renault SA to develop the vehicle's electric drivetrain.
Earlier this summer, Daimler completed its two-year eMerge EV evaluation program of 146 ForTwo electrics. Participating businesses and consumers in Germany accumulated more than 620,000 miles on the cars.
Daimler says the program showed that public recharging infrastructure must be greatly expanded and that carmakers must do a better job of explaining the benefits of EVs to help drive consumer adoption of the technology. The company adds that EV owners should have a daily commute of at least 30 miles to make the technology financially viable for them.
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