Anybody towing an Electric Smart car as a toad yet.

gotsmart wrote:

John & Angela wrote:
Totally agree with above. However the addiction to horsepower is a little stronger in the US than Europe so its hard to tell how the public would accept a vehicle considered under powered by US standards. Those of us who drive them are used to the lag time in acceleration from 0 to 20 but it takes a little getting used to.

Easily negated by learning to listen to the engine and pre-shifting - through all the gears. It is easier to pre-shift with the paddle shifters, but it can also be done with the floor shifter.

Very true. I think it's easier with the gasser as there is more HP on tap than our little diesels. I find I use the paddle shifters more on windy hilly roads. Kinda fun and great way to keep the motor in the torque zone.

John & Angela wrote:
Totally agree with above. However the addiction to horsepower is a little stronger in the US than Europe so its hard to tell how the public would accept a vehicle considered under powered by US standards. Those of us who drive them are used to the lag time in acceleration from 0 to 20 but it takes a little getting used to.

Easily negated by learning to listen to the engine and pre-shifting - through all the gears. It is easier to pre-shift with the paddle shifters, but it can also be done with the floor shifter.

My chev S-10 is rear wheel drive so have it on a dolly backwards. It weighs in at 4600 lbs. Jerry

jauguston wrote:
The Smart Cabrolet is less than 100# lighter than my 1987 Suzuki Samurai FWD that weights right at 2200#. Just a piece of OT information for what its worth (-: The Smart would be a MUCH bigger seller if the diesel engine was available "legally" in the US. All the research I have done says it is NOT legal to register one in the US. If it was I would probably own one.

Jim

Totally agree with above. However the addiction to horsepower is a little stronger in the US than Europe so its hard to tell how the public would accept a vehicle considered under powered by US standards. Those of us who drive them are used to the lag time in acceleration from 0 to 20 but it takes a little getting used to.

There are currently about 75 CDI diesels registered in the US but wether they are legal or not is debateable.

Smart is not really worried about popularity in the US as it is a very small market for microcars but I think it would have helped to bring in one of their more economical engines in the little beast. The smart has four engine choices only one of which is available in the US. They chose the thirstiest version for the US market probably because fuel is cheap. Having said that most smart car owners with over 10,000 miles on the clock seem to consistently get low to mid 40's in US MPG. No where near the 70 mpg of the diesel but not horrible. Another thing that was a tough sell on this side of the pond is the automated manual. People expect it to act like an automatic transmission just because there is no clutch pedal. Not something we are used to over here. Its actually a pretty smooth transmission when comparing it to other standards. Driving it with the paddle shifters in manual mode is way fun...even if it is a little gutless. :)

The Smart Cabrolet is less than 100# lighter than my 1987 Suzuki Samurai FWD that weights right at 2200#. Just a piece of OT information for what its worth (-: The Smart would be a MUCH bigger seller if the diesel engine was available "legally" in the US. All the research I have done says it is NOT legal to register one in the US. If it was I would probably own one.

Jim

smkettner wrote:
Also verify weight of the EV is compatible with the trailer rating.

Thanks to using lithium-ion batteries, U.S.-spec Smart Electrics weigh only 2,094 pounds (2,138 for the cabriolet). That's only a few hundred pounds heavier than the Fortwo Diesel (at 1,830), and still very light as cars go.

http://www.smartusa.com/models/electric-drive/overview.aspx

Would be interested to hear if anyone does end up with a Smart Electric toad. I just drove one last weekend at AltCar Expo in Santa Monica, California.

Thanks Gotsmart. First time I have seen the specs on the ED Smart. Surprised the cabrio is a little heavier than the coupe.

Re service. Yep. We are always nervous on what happens if we have a problem when we are down south. Our local Mercedez place in Palm Springs is pretty good and he told me he would do his best if we needed him. He sources parts out of a Mercedes dealer in Edmonton for the CDI's. Lets hope it never comes to that. At least the ED we could get service people familiar with the car when down south.

ED specifications - from this link: http://www.smartusa.com/models/electric-drive/overview.aspx
click on "full specs", then on the pop-up click on "Technical Specifications"

Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase ........................ 73.5 inches
Track width front/rear ........ 50.51 inches/54.53 inches
Length ............................... 106.1 inches (8.8 feet)
Width ................................. 61.4 inches (5.1 feet)
Height ................................ 60.7 inches (5.1 feet)
Headroom ......................... 39.7 inches
Legroom ............................ 41.2 inches
Shoulder room .................. 48 inches
Hip room ........................... 45.4 inches
Passenger volume ............ 45.4 cu. ft.
Cargo space ...................... 7.8 cu. Ft- 12 cu. Ft.
Turning circle ..................... 28.7 ft
Luggage compartment capacity ....... 7.8 (up tp beltline)/12 (to roof) cu. ft.
ECE weight without driver ................ 1,941 lbs (coupe) 2,007 lbs (cabrio)
Net weight (DIN/EPA) ...................... 1984 lbs (coupe) 2,028 lbs (cabrio)
Net weight (US Curb-Weight) ........... 2,094 lbs (coupe) 2,138 lbs (cabrio)
ECE Payload .................................... 551 lbs (coupe) 507 lbs (cabrio)
USA Payload .................................... 419 lbs (coupe) 397 lbs (cabrio)
ECE permissible maximum weight ... 2,535 lbs

Here is the thread about flat towing the ED that I had referred to: http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f77/ed-toad-52641/



also - there are CDIs registered in the US. The problem arises in the challenge to have MB USA service it - should it need to be done by MB. A CDI owner in the US probably hears the phrase "Good luck with that" - more often than they care to.

This is the one that we would be replacing. Had it a long time. She was my first. Only put about 70,000 Km on her. Still runs like a top and pulls my little tent trailer around with eaze.



Here's the triplets with their tops up. :)



And my favourite smart car pic of my burgundy Baby.