Source: Daimler AG, Riccione/Stuttgart.

From 4 – 7 August 2011, 1,500 smart fans from 22 countries gathered in the Italian seaside resort of Riccione for the largest event of the smart community worldwide.

Over four days the fans – who came together in Italy instead of Austria for the first time after ten years – shared their passion for the small city car and connected with designers, tuners and experts. Next year the community will congregate in Belgium.

smart times has long become a firm date in the international event calendar for all fans of the small city car. And the participants are prepared to go to great lengths to attend. For example, a group of smart drivers drove an amazing 2,286 kilometres in order to attend the event in Riccione. It had the longest journey to the Italian seaside resort.

From beach volleyball on the beach in Riccione, to a visit to Aquafan, Europe’s largest aquapark, or a lap on one of Italy’s most famous racetracks – the Misano World Circuit – all the items on the programme of this year’s smart times proved very popular. A special highlight was the excursion entitled “smart meets Museo Ferrari” to the home of the world-famous red sports car. At the traditional smart times parade the fans set a further new record: more than 800 smart vehicles drove through the streets of Riccione to the delight of onlookers. Plenty of opportunities to take test drives, to talk at length with smart experts, parties every night and the annual smart flea market rounded off the programme. All the visitors had a great time at the event under the Italian sun and they are already excitedly looking forward to next year’s smart times.

In 2012 the international smart community will gather in Belgium.

[from smart USA insider, used by permission]
These past few weeks have gone by in a blur since we have started with smart and I wanted to update you on two areas that we’ve seen a lot of questions about: the dealer network and our marketing plans.

As far as the retail network is concerned, this is a top priority for us. Our goal when we took over from the Penske organization was to have essentially the same footprint, i.e. 75 dealers. Those dealers are in place but we are keenly aware that there are gaps in coverage that need to be taken care of as well as areas of untapped opportunity. To that effect, we plan to add another 25 dealerships by the end of the year.

On a related note, I’ve seen several questions as to whether smart service, parts and/or accessories – or the fortwo itself — would be available at every Mercedes-Benz dealership. The answer to that is no: all sales and service will be at authorized smart dealerships where we will have trained personnel who can support smart to the level of your expectations.

From a marketing standpoint, our main goal will be to increase awareness of the smart brand and the fortwo. Beyond the fact that MBUSA has some top-tier platforms that we’ll be able to leverage to increase visibility of smart, our team is currently working with our agency team to develop a robust marketing plan that increases awareness and perception and reflects the iconic nature of the smart brand. This will include traditional advertising (yes, TV commercials), online presence, social media and events. Our goal is to realize a creative campaign that breaks through the clutter and brings to life not only what makes smart unique but also the right car for the right people. I think you’ll like it.

Obviously sites like [smart USA insider] will be undergoing change and a lot of that will be based on input from you. With that in mind, I’d really like to encourage you to share with us your thoughts, comments, questions and ideas. We’ve started a new discussion in the forum section ‘give us a shout’ to facilitate that. I can’t promise you that everything will be answered all the time but what I can promise is that everything will be seen and we will address as much as we can.

That’s it for now…we’ll be back at the page in the weeks ahead!

Tracey

Source: Daimler AG, Stuttgart, Jul 21, 2011

smart is continuing its series of exciting special models with the new smart fortwo pearlgrey. The exclusive graphite metallic paintwork in combination with a silver tridion safety cell and silver alloy wheels creates a classic and elegant appearance. The interior is most notably upgraded by the exclusive leather package in crystal grey (a standard feature). The smart fortwo pearlgrey is available as a coupé and a cabrio with prices starting from €14,490.

From young and sassy to sporty-casual – the multitalented smart shines in many roles. Now the new limited special model smart fortwo pearlgrey has donned a classic and elegant appearance. Exterior features include exclusive graphite metallic paintwork which forms an attractive contrast to the silver tridion safety cell and the silver alloy wheels with a 3-double-spoke design. The mirror caps and radiator grille are also painted in graphite metallic and the mirror triangles feature pearlgrey logos. The front and rear axles are fitted with wide tyres measuring 175/55 R 15 (front) and 195/50 R 15 (rear).

The interior also boasts an elegant design. The exclusive leather package is a standard feature and lends the vehicle an unusual and luxurious look with seats in a mix of crystal grey leather and fabric. It also comprises the top part of the instrument panel in black imitation leather with contrasting light grey seams, a knee pad in crystal grey imitation leather and door trims in a combination of crystal grey imitation leather and fabric. The smart fortwo pearlgrey boasts matt silver contrast components. Further standard features include dashboard instruments (cockpit clock and rev counter), an audio system and exclusive floor mats featuring edition lettering.

The limited model is based on the passion equipment line which means that it comes with the softouch automatic gear programme, electric windows, air conditioning with automatic temperature control and a transparent panoramic roof with sunblind among other features. The optional equipment available includes heated seats, the smart surround sound system and the smart audio system navigation/multimedia.

The smart fortwo pearlgrey is available as a coupé and a cabrio with a 52kW micro hybrid drive petrol engine or a 62kW petrol engine with prices starting at €14,490. The special model can be ordered from 21 July 2011 and the first vehicles will reach dealers in November 2011.

Prices in Germany start at 14,490 euro for the 71 hp coupe, 15,060 w/inline turbo (84 hp), including 19% VAT, for the cabrio editions you’re looking at 17,580 and 18,150.

Here’s the eye-candy for you to drool over:

300 zero-emission smart fortwo electric drive vehicles arrive in San Diego by the end of 2011.

(Source: Daimler, SAN DIEGO) – car2go N. A. LLC, a subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, announced that San Diego will be the first North American city to have a 100-percent electric vehicle (EV) carsharing program. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Nicholas Cole, President and CEO of car2go N. A. LLC, and Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality, made the official announcement at a news conference at the El Cortez this morning.

“We’re proud that car2go has chosen to launch the first North American all-electric carsharing service in San Diego,” said San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. “car2go’s launch here further supports our efforts to make San Diego the nation’s electric vehicle capital.”

The all-electric car2go program in San Diego is going to start operations before the end of 2011 with 300 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles.

“The launch of an all electric vehicle fleet marks a new era in carsharing in North America,” said Nicholas Cole, President and CEO of car2go N. A. LLC. “San Diego is a forward-thinking city determined to meet future transportation demands of its residents. Our goal is to complement the existing transportation infrastructure by providing an emission- free carsharing service for short and spontaneous one-way trips.”
All smart fortwo electric drive cars will be equipped with the latest car2go telematics technology, allowing fully automated, easy and convenient rental operations. As the world’s first free-floating carsharing service, car2go provides its members with the possibility to rent the cars spontaneously without having the burden to commit to a specific return time or location.

The car2go program is already very successful in four cities with a total of more than 40,000 members and 1,000 smart fortwo vehicles with low-emission gas engines.

Right from the beginning, the smart fortwo was designed for electric drive and that now shows,” says Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart. “I love driving the smart electric drive and I am convinced that the car2go members in California will enjoy using this forward technology to get around their home town San Diego – a new method of transportation both pleasing to the ear and the environment.”

The smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a 30 kW electric propulsion system. It is economical, quiet and emissions-free. In San Diego, the high-efficiency lithium-ion batteries can be recharged at designated EV charging stations. On a single charge, the car can travel up to 84 miles. Battery recharging time from 20 percent to 80 percent of battery full capacity is just three and a half hours. Recharging a completely discharged battery takes no more than eight hours, which makes it possible to recharge overnight. Past experience shows that this is seldom necessary, as the daily stretch covered by car2go drivers in urban areas rarely exceeds 6 miles.

“By being the first to make an all-electric network of vehicles easily accessible for thousands of people, we are revolutionizing carsharing and creating the future of the urban transportation,” says Cole.
The electric car2go vehicles will be charged at Blink EV charging stations developed by California-based technology provider ECOtality. The company is currently in the process of siting and installing the charging stations, and approximately 1,000 Blink commercial charging stations are expected to be installed by end of 2011 for public use in San Diego.

“Innovative carsharing programs like car2go’s service are pivotal to encouraging the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles,” said Jonathan Read, CEO of ECOtality. “As we deploy approximately 1,000 Blink charging stations in the San Diego region as part of The EV Project, we are creating the robust public infrastructure necessary for car2go’s program to succeed. Together, we will show that EVs are a perfect fit for the lifestyle of San Diego drivers.”

The electric car2go service in San Diego will be operated by car2go N. A. LLC. Further details of the service such as business area, parking and charging concept as well as start of customer registrations will be announced in the near future.

And now, of course, the eye candy:

[Excerpt from Source: Daimler AG, Stuttgart, Jul 06, 2011]

More driving pleasure in high mountain regions: Daimler fields seven electric cars for the 2011 Silvretta electric car race.

Electric cars of the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands drive emission-free through the Montafon region, as well the Stuttgart automaker (again) had the biggest lineup of electric vehicles at the start of the Silvretta electric car rally.

Following last year’s successful debut, from 7 to 9 July 2011 the second Silvretta electric car rally takes place in the Montafon region of Austria. This time Daimler AG is competing with a total of seven electric cars of the Mercedes-Benz and smart brands. At the start for the second time: the smart fortwo electric drive and the B-Class F-CELL. A first-time participant this year is the battery-electric A-Class E-CELL. The highlight of the rally is again the highly efficient super sports car SLS AMG E-CELL, whose market launch is scheduled for 2013.

Speed is not of the essence in the three-day rally that leads through the Vorarlberg mountain landscape, but regularity and skill. Covering a total distance of almost 300 kilometers and a total difference in altitude of 5500 meters, the electric car rally is almost twice as long as the premiere in 2010 and, as a comparison of the courses shows, far more demanding. Gradients of up to 14 percent must be negotiated with precision. The driver teams are put through various trials in which hundredths of seconds count in the scoring. But they will be rewarded with views of the picturesque Montafon mountains. The rally takes the locally emission-free, noiseless electric cars through the Austrian provinces Vorarlberg and Tyrol.

Vorarlberg province is one of the biggest model regions in Europe for the introduction and development of electric mobility. The Austrian energy supply company illwerke vkw, a partner of the Silvretta electric car rally, supports the model region under the name VLOTTE – an artificial coinage from Vorarlberg and Flotte, the German for fleet. Illwerke vkw is steadily expanding the necessary infrastructure for electrically powered vehicles in the region and in this way promotes the emergence of a proper electric mobility network.

Electric cars from Mercedes-Benz and smart

By taking part in the electric rally, Daimler demonstrates once again how practical and reliable its electric cars already are today. The higher demands of this year’s rally pose no obstacle to the competing vehicles.
The vehicles made available for the tour show just how varied the Daimler range of electric cars with battery or fuel cell already is today. With the smart fortwo electric drive, the ideal battery-electric urban car takes the start in the rally. With a range of 135 kilometers the electric smart delivers loads of driving pleasure in urban settings.

The Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL runs on hydrogen and has a locally emission-free range of about 400 kilometers. Just recently Mercedes-Benz demonstrated its workaday practicality and technical maturity in the F-CELL World Drive: from late January through early June, three Mercedes B-Class F-CELL cars drove round the world, covering more than 30,000 kilometers through 14 countries on four continents. The vehicle thus suggests itself especially for use over longer distances and can be completely refueled in less than three minutes. Also, for the first time the A-Class E-CELL is competing in the electric car rally. It offers lots of space, variability and utmost comfort – combined with zero emissions. With an operating range of over 200 kilometers it is well-suited for locally emission-free urban and interurban travel. All models are fully up to production standard and already are available to selected customers.

A highlight of the electric rally is the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG E-CELL. The development mule for the car that will come out on the market in 2013 proves on the winding Alpine course that dynamic driving pleasure in combination with an electric drive is not a contradiction at all. The fascinating gullwing car with the emission-free high-tech drive featuring a peak output of 392 kW and peak torque of 880 Newton meters clearly is the trendsetter in the super sports car market segment.

Want some pics? Sure you do, here they are:

[Source: Daimler, VANCOUVER, B.C., Jun 16 2011]

car2go, the world’s first free floating carsharing service, announced today that a fleet of 225 smart “car2go edition” vehicles will be ready for “on-demand” rentals beginning on June 18th in Vancouver.

On April 27th, car2go Canada Ltd CEO Nicholas Cole and Mayor Gregor Robertson announced Vancouver, British Columbia as the first Canadian city selected to launch the innovative carsharing service, where cars have no reservations time limits, and members are allowed to make one-way trips instead of returning cars to their pickup location. Since the announcement, approximately 2,000 Vancouverites have registered and received their membership cards. Members will be able to drive the vehicles starting Saturday June 18th.
Following the overwhelmingly positive response, car2go has extended the free registration period (which represents a $35 value) until July 3rd. Vancouver residents can register at www.car2govancouver.com, or in person at the car2go office at 45 Water Street in Gastown.

To further celebrate the launch, car2go is also extending an open invitation to special events held at four neighbourhood coffee houses in Vancouver on Saturday June 18th. Between 10am and 5pm, residents can register in person, receive their membership card on-site, take a car2go for a short drive and enjoy a free coffee at the following four local iconic coffee houses:

Waves Coffee, 2588 Main Street,
Kits Coffee Co, 2198 West 4th Avenue
Delany’s Coffee House, 1105 Denman St
Bean Around the World in Yaletown, 1002 Mainland St.

As a sustainable transportation option, car2go is pleased to be playing a role in the City of Vancouver’s goal to become the “greenest city” in the world by 2020. Members can rent a car2go “on-demand” or reserve a vehicle up to 24 hours in advance. The car2go vehicles that are readily available to be driven can be viewed on the internet or with a smartphone app, and can be driven for as long as needed without committing to a return time. Just simply end the rental by leaving the vehicle at any “permit only” on-street parking spot in downtown or residential neighbourhoods within the defined business area, or in one of the specially marked car2go parking spaces.

Members pay for what they use by the minute with discounted rates for hourly and daily use and are only charged for the time they use the car2go. Rates include fuel, parking, mileage, insurance, maintenance and GPS navigation.

car2go now has a global network of more than 40,000 members and 1,000 smart vehicles. Based on its impressive success, car2go will further expand in other North American and European cities in 2011.

Now if they can only help Vancouver with that Stanley cup thing.. hehe..

It’s a pleasure to be able to introduce myself and start a dialogue with smart owners and enthusiasts. I had hoped to meet some of you personally at the Midwest Rally in Wisconsin Dells but unfortunately there was a conflict. I’m confident, however, that the opportunity will present itself down the road. In my place, I’m sending members of my team to get the conversation going.

As you can imagine, things are a little hectic now as we prepare for the transition. There’s a very high level of activity because we want to ensure that this process is seamless for you and that there’s little, if any, inconvenience. At the same time, our top priority is to quickly deploy our resources to take what Jill Lajdziak and her team built over the past few years to continue growing the brand. They’ve done a terrific job laying the foundation and we want to build on that to elevate awareness of the smart brand and the products and build on the unique community and culture that’s been established.

While we’re at the very beginning of this process, I know that many of you have questions. Most of the questions I’ve seen are in areas that are our own top priority right now: the retail network and customer support, marketing and, of course, the product. In the weeks ahead we will be sharing information with you on each of these topics. I hope that you will continue to provide us with input and raise any questions. Once we transition over in July, we’ll make sure you have all the appropriate contact information.

In my first few weeks “on the job”, the enthusiasm and the passion that smart has evoked among employees, owners, enthusiasts and drivers at large, convinces me that the smart brand can be a thriving example of innovation and inspiration that paves a new road for a new millennium. I think it’ll be a fun drive for all of us.

Tracey Matura

[Source: Daimler AG, Stuttgart/Riccione, Jun 06, 2011]

After ten years in Austria, this year the world’s largest gathering of smart fans is taking place in Italy for the first time. From 4 – 7 August 2011 the European smart community will come together in the seaside resort of Riccione on the Adriatic coast. In future smart times will take place in a different country each year. This reflects the continuously growing importance of the event for

the smart brand. In the space of ten years smart times has evolved from a small gathering to a large European event. More than 4000 smart enthusiasts from 22 countries, some with individually designed vehicles, are expected in Riccione where they will celebrate their passion for smart cars together and connect with designers, tuners and industry experts.

“smart times is a fantastic event, where thousands of smart fans come every year from all over Europe to share their enthusiasm and love for the brand, experience road trips and concerts and present their wonderful, resourcefully designed cars at the smart parade” says Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart. “In future smart times will take place in a different country each year to increase the appeal of the get-together for the smart family.”

In Riccione attendees can look forward to a private beach with a stage and a varied programme comprising sport, fun and entertainment with a focus on the smart fortwo plus a very special highlight: the “smart meets Museo Ferrari” excursion to Maranello.

An overview of smart times 2011
1 – 3 August: smart times on vacation
To get into the mood for the event the community can congregate in Riccione three days before the official start of smart times. smart fans will have an opportunity to take part in outings to the hinterland and the Po delta where they can get to know each other and enjoy a holiday feeling as they cruise through the picturesque countryside of Emilia Romagna.

4 August: smart meets Museo Ferrari
To kick off the smart times weekend with its competitions, shows, action, innovations and exchange of information the participants will be able to enjoy a very special highlight in the form of a visit to the home of the famous red sports car: “smart meets Museo Ferrari”.

5 August: beach volleyball and smart times contest
On day two beach volleyball and the smart times contest will provide plenty of variety and excitement. At the smart times contest a jury will rate the tuning, design and performance of the various smart models. The programme will be rounded off by test drives and an “after party” every evening.

6 August: smart times parade
At 10 a.m. the starting signal will be given for the traditional smart times parade. In the afternoon smart experts will be available to answer all questions relating to the brand. In the evening smart will invite the fans to Piazzale Roma where the secret “smart times 12 goes to …” will be revealed.

7 August: smart flea market
The event will come to an end with the traditional “smart flea market”. Fan articles and all kinds of used parts will come under the hammer. Then it’s time to say goodbye and see you next year in …

smart times networking
A virtual get-together is already taking place in the run-up to the event at www.facebook.com/smarttimes For example, the regular live chat “smart times TechTalk” offers fans an opportunity to compare notes with smart experts and like-minded people and to become actively involved in the smart community.

All information on the event can be found on the website www.smart.com. Attendance at smart times is free of charge. However, accreditation (Editor’s note: I think they mean, registration?) is a prerequisite – also at www.smart.com .

[Source: Daimler AG, Stuttgart, Mar 15, 2011]

Surprisingly different: Mirror, mirror, on the road…

smart presents an electric two-seater in a glitzy ‘disco-ball’ look in Berlin. This smart fortwo electric drive is completely covered in reflective glass tiles from the roof to the hub caps and the windows also feature a mirror finish. The one-off model was conceived by the experimental artist formation ‘Apparatjik’ to be used in a film titled ‘Pixel City’, realized for their current installation at Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. The project is brought to a climax by two very unusual live performances on the 26th and 27th of March.

[ part of our smart at the Geneva Motor Show 2011 coverage ]

A smart fortwo with a truly unique voice. Showcasing its “smart personal sounds” concept car, smart is demonstrating how fortwo drivers can use sounds to personalise their vehicles even further. For example, when ?drivers apply the handbrake or operate the windscreen wipers, they will hear a sound that they personally selected. As with mobile phone ring tones, customers could download these sounds online and install them in their smart fortwo.

Even now there are barely two smarts that look exactly alike. But for an even greater degree of individualisation, drivers of the popular smart cars may be able to choose personal sounds as well in future: the smart personal sounds concept produces individual sounds in response to specific ?driver actions. These small MP3 sound files are freely programmable and interchangeable. For example, having had the doors open to the sounds ?of a Doors guitar riff, a driver might decide that he or she would like to ?be greeted by Joe Cocker’s guttural growl in future. In the same way, for ?instance, an independent sound profile could be created for the light switches, indicators or heated rear windows. It is conceivable that these sounds could be available for downloading online in the same way as mobile phone ring tones are.

The technical implementation for the concept car is based on the fact that many of the actions performed by the driver and the vehicle activate signals in the internal vehicle communication system. With smart personal sounds, ?a predefined selection of these signals will be read out and linked with the sound files via special software. When an action is performed, the allocated sound is sent to the smart fortwo’s audio unit and can be heard via the ?vehicle’s loudspeakers.

The original idea for smart personal sounds came from the young employees in the CAReer trainee program, who were given the task of describing and developing an innovative business idea. CAReer is Daimler’s group-wide programme aimed at providing practical experience for university ?graduates and career newcomers. It prepares participants for later ?specialisations and for possible managerial functions.