eMotion Mobility's Smart ED

Daimler calls its new Smart ED electric-powered project "eMobility Berlin" and announced that an electric-powered smart will be available in the US by 2012. Nine years ago, a company called eMotion Mobility introduced the first pre-electrified smart gliders here. eMotion Mobility and its partners Daimler (yes Daimler), the Panoz group and with tax breaks from the state of Georgia, set out to create the first program in the US that allowed drivers to share electric cars.

In 2000, eMotion Mobility, then a division of DC had a very similar project and announced plans to develop an electric version of the Smart.

That car was, of course, a Smart car and at the time regular gasoline was $1.68 a gallon!

Their plan was to position electric smart cars at busy Atlanta locations providing travelers with an innovative mobility program linked to Atlanta's MARTA transit system and access to eMotion Mobility's zero emission smart cars parked at their rail stations.

Subscribers to the program were to be issued "smart keys" and identification to make instant car reservations on the Internet and through eMotion Mobility's call center.

Each smart was to come with a cell phone, a GPS system and a touch-screen computer and back-up battery packs for longer errands.

Their intention was to import smart gliders to the US. Gliders are cars that do not have an internal-combustion engine. These semi-certified Smart cars were to be imported by eMotion Mobility to create a fully electric version of the Smart.

In December of 2001, eMotion Mobility broke ground and, later some hearts, on its new factory that was eager to produce electric smart cars.

A 30,000 square foot plant, strategically located near the Port of Savannah, was to be the first-of-its-kind facility.

It was to house a micro-assembly process, which matched the parts needed for the electric drive system and other U.S. regulatory requirements with the smart gliders after they arrive from Europe. This strategy is very similar to how the Smartville production plant, located in Hambach, France functions.

Company officials indicated that the plant would eventually employ 100 to 150 workers and have the capacity to produce more than 6,000 Smart electric vehicles annually.

eMotion Mobility introduced its prototype all-electric Smart car at the 2002 Peachtree Road Race as the pace car of the 33rd annual race in Atlanta and said it would import 1,500 cars the first year. As soon as they were up to speed, it predicted that it would have the capacity to produce more than 6,000 vehicles yearly.

They must have intended to stay, since one of the first things they did was contribute $5,000 to Mark Taylor's campaign for lieutenant governor of Georgia.

Unfortunately eMotion Mobility didn't stay and in 2003 it closed down operations and moved on. The company had imported only 30 smart gliders, few if any of which ever reached the market!

Axis Group, Inc. of Decatur, Georgia, the shipper of the smart gliders was not paid and liens were put on these smart gliders. About 20 of these smart glider bodies, some with Solectria electronics, were sold on EBay. A few were even sold with engines intact and are being driven on our streets today.

Also a new program gets underway.Testing of carmaker Daimler's car2go begins Oct. 24 with 50 two-seat Smart cars in Ulm, a city east of Stuttgart, Daimler’s base of operations. The price is about $12.75 per-hour, which includes fuel and insurance. Unlike many car-sharing plans, Daimler doesn’t charge a sign-up fee.

Axis Group (Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics) still plays a role in the transportation needs for the importation of the Smart for the U.S.

Perhaps they did get paid after all?

An electric version of the Smart Fortwo is therefore not really that unusual for the US. Others have also failed while others are still trying. What is unusual is maybe this time someone will get it right.

We only hope everyone will learn from their mistakes and not fail to appreciate the need for greener cars.