It is reported the Tesla Motors Company, who has had their fair share of problems, will be electrifying Daimler's prototype Smart (electric vehicle) EV. Tesla will be supplying their lithium-ion battery proficiency for 150 Smart experimental models, smart Gmbh is sending to Berlin, providing their new smart electric cars a range of approximately 90 miles.

Tesla Motors will be charging up Daimler’s electric Smart ForTwo cars with its own lithium-ion battery technology, the German edition of the Financial Times reports (hat tip Autoblog Green). According to the report Tesla will supply the batteries for the 150 cars Daimler plans to deploy first in Berlin; Daimler subsequently aims to expand that test fleet up to 1,000 cars across several European cities. The batteries will give the mini electric cars an urban driving range of more than 90 miles.

We got in touch with Tesla in the hopes of getting more detail, but they declined comment.

The deal is reportedly part of a larger initiative Daimler is reportedly unveiling today with German utility RWE to create a network of some 500 public charging stations around that country’s capital. Daimler has been running a similar pilot project in London where some 100 electric Smarts have been zipping about since late last year.

The pilot fleet currently has charge times of eight hours, but Daimler reportedly hopes that with Tesla’s newer batteries and a utility helping with infrastructure, the charge time could be reduced to two or three.

We heard back in June that Daimler and Tesla were getting cozy. At the time, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche wouldn’t comment on the California startup but did announce electric Mercedes and Smart models for 2010. Zetsche also said that Daimler was in talks with Shai Agassi’s electric car infrastructure startup, Better Place.

Today’s news of Daimler’s deal with RWE doesn’t rule out a roll for Better Place, but it could mean the German auto maker might be trying to electrify the German autobahn without Agassi.

Source [Earth2Tech Written by Craig Rubens]

The smart center Bloomington, of Bloomington, Minnesota achieves sales milestone by selling the 10,000th Smart car in the United States market. In August of 2007 Canada’s smart division of Mercedes-Benz Canada delivered it's 10,000th Smart Car. Their important sales milestone happened just before the Smart's third anniversary in Canada.

With 16,378 U.S. sales through August, Smart is on pace to exceed its goal of selling 25,000 vehicles this year.

Daimler reports demand to exceed its ability to make them fast enough. The reservations process was limited to private buyers, no dealers or company sales and the $99 reservation fee is not transferable, but is refundable. Daimler AG chief executive officer Dieter Zetsche says his company has more initial orders for Smart cars in the United States than it can build. Mr. Zetsche CEO said they have received "more than 30,000 down payments" from buyers in advance of the car's U.S. introduction in January.

Smart dealers recommend using premium (91 octane or better) gas in your new Smart car.  But others say it's not mandatory and does not void your warranty.  However, using premium gas is better on your cars motor and in the end more efficient. According to sources with the engines high compression ratio, premium fuel with higher octane levels burns more economically and the MPG would improve approximately 2 MPG.