[Zbugsii]

I recently just bought a used 2015 gas Pure... and really like it!

I am not a fan of the electric ones... and for that matter wished I could have a Diesel engined one!

Are we (USA) so finicky that is all we can get!? Is electric.

When and if the time comes to get another, which I surely will.... hopefully I will have an option for gas or diesel, as I will never have an electric one.

Just sortof venting... So.... anybody here thinking along these lines or.... ?

 

[jwight]

That ship has sailed. The decision was made in Germany by Mercedes-Benz. After 2019 there will be no gas powered smarts sold in any market, only the electric drive versions. Take care of the one you have and hopefully it will last a long time.

 

[Yinzer]

The thing is, all EU countries are already on a program to phase-out of ALL IC engine cars by 2030. So no, they are not going to make IC engine cars just for the USA. The USA will simply need to join the world and get with the program when it comes to green technologies.

The electric Smart performs better than a gas smart in every way,. With better charging infrastructure, the limited range of the Smart would not be too much or a liability either.

 

[jetfuel]

The electric Smart performs better than a gas smart in every way.

...except where it really matters....to boldly go anywhere you want to go...5 minutes refill and keep on going...and going...and going...

Jetfuel...you get the picture

 

[MB DNA]

The electric Smart performs better than a gas smart in every way,. With better charging infrastructure, the limited range of the Smart would not be too much or a liability either.

Not so fast - showroom bone stock an ED may have the edge "in many ways."

Add a hair dryer to an ICE as jetfuel and others have done - "performance" becomes pretty impressive!!!

Outside of CARB states the charging infrastructure remains weak and will keep ED pretty close to home while ICE after "5 minutes refill and keep on going...and going...and going..."

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Ah, the infamous ED v ICE debate. Look, if you are lucky enough to have easy charging options and happen to travel short distances then the ED/EQ is an exceptional choice.

But one has to accept the car's obvious limitations when considering why someone may not want one.

I live a half mile from my work. My commute (1 mile each way) is so short not even my 250cc scooter can get up to running temp. This would be perfect for the ED/EQ, where there's no engine damage to worry about on short trips.

Unfortunately, I have no convenient way to charge an ED/EQ. My only local choices are the village hall or a drug store and honestly I have no desire to mill around any place while waiting for my car to charge.

The average date with my girlfriend often sees more miles than an ED is physically capable of driving in a reasonable amount of time. Of course, this isn't a problem for a smart hoarder like me, but it would be for someone looking to replace their only car with one. I very much want to add the ED/EQ to my collection, but it seems I'll have to wait.

Honestly, the best smart is the smart that's best for you. For some that's ICE, for some that's ED/EQ.

Come 2020 you will no longer be able to buy an ICE smart anywhere in the world. MB's idea of smart's future essentially involves cloning Google's self driving koala-looking car.

 

[Chopper]

Interesting. I've a petrol 450, and my next car will undoubtedly be an electric Smart! For the limited mileage I do its perfectamundo - for economic, strategic and environmental reasons I've managed to trim back the mileage I do to the point where the EQ would suit me well. I don't even bother lifting the garage door for a journey under 8 miles now, so I hop on the bicycle instead.

 

[jimvw57]

the fact remains that I drive 85+ miles round trip to work and back, not including any side trips and with sub-zero temps part of the year, an ED car would not work for me. Additionally the 230 mile to the cabin would stretch any ED vehicle's range. Now ass in the extra weight of tools and such and I will be sticking to my gas powered vehicles for quite some time.

not much of a chance to ride a bicycle in 8 inches of snow and at 11:30 at night for any distance. One type of vehicle will never make it for 100% of the population. I can't see a construction worker or a contractor driving a Prius loaded with all the tools they need to carry. If an ED will work for you, more power to you! I am sure they have their place just as the I.C.E, has theirs. To limit the choice to one power plant would cut into sales and that is the simple truth. It's their choice and they will live or die by it.

If and when they make a vehicle that can handle a 4,000 payload, pull a trailer 4WD, handle cold and snow weather, drive 270 miles without a refill, and be able to refill in under 15 min, sign me up.

this one has the best chance so far...https://www.bollingermotors.com/

 

[wrumbarger]

This may seem like a dumb question, but if your daily commute is 85+ miles, shouldn't you be either looking for a job closer to home, or a home closer to work?

As for tool/work transport, I am getting one of these as soon as they are on the market (Q4 2019)
https://workhorse.com/pickup/

 

[Chopper]

the fact remains that I drive 85+ miles round trip to work and back, not including any side trips and with sub-zero temps part of the year, an ED car would not work for me. Additionally the 230 mile to the cabin would stretch any ED vehicle's range. Now ass in the extra weight of tools and such and I will be sticking to my gas powered vehicles for quite some time.

not much of a chance to ride a bicycle in 8 inches of snow and at 11:30 at night for any distance. One type of vehicle will never make it for 100% of the population. I can't see a construction worker or a contractor driving a Prius loaded with all the tools they need to carry. If an ED will work for you, more power to you! I am sure they have their place just as the I.C.E, has theirs. To limit the choice to one power plant would cut into sales and that is the simple truth. It's their choice and they will live or die by it.

If and when they make a vehicle that can handle a 4,000 payload, pull a trailer 4WD, handle cold and snow weather, drive 270 miles without a refill, and be able to refill in under 15 min, sign me up.

this one has the best chance so far...https://www.bollingermotors.com/

Well, enjoy it while you can then, because when the oil is all gone you won't be doing it any more. I chose to adapt now while it was convenient, rather than wait until its forced upon me when it's inconvenient.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

While oil is technically finite, we aren't going to run out of it during the lifetime of anyone on this forum or likely for generations to come. Every generation has been told multiple times "we're going to run out of oil in xx years" and it never happens.

All these claims assume that not only will we not discover more oil (extremely unlikely) but that usage will remain a constant or we'll become exponentially more dependent, both of which doesn't follow real world data. The truth is that unless humans suddenly become inept at oil exploration we aren't going to run out anytime soon.

https://www.e-education.psu.edu/eme801/node/486

https://www.thoughtco.com/we-will-never-run-out-of-oil-1146242

There are plenty of fantastic reasons to switch to an EV but the threat of oil theoretically running out in a few decades shouldn't be one of them. As a motorcycle enthusiast (5 bikes strong!) I actually think the first electric vehicle I'll own will be something like an electric Grom. At least then there's a chance I can carry it into my condo to charge it.

 

[sokoloff]

Are you sure we aren't running out of oil? Based on gasoline prices dropping like they are, I thought that maybe the oil companies were having a "going out of business" sale.

Len
2014 EV Coupe 17,000 miles
2014 EV Cabriolet 9,000 miles

 

[smark]

My 2008 smart car new cost $14,500. Had a range of close to 270 miles, on a tank a fuel. 38 mpg. Refuel, in less of 10 minutes. A new smart EV, is around what $30k. What’s it range 60-70 miles, 3 hours to recharge it. 3 year residual value, $6-7k.

I don’t live in the city. How many charging stations are there around downtown Chicago. More a less parking spaces. City car, that a joke. My nephew lives outside Chicago. There aren’t any charging station.

No wonder smart is history here. MB/smart marketing, is clueless.

 

[Johannesl]

Electric vehicles aren’t for everyone, just like ICE vehicles aren’t for everyone.

I had my 2013 Passion for 2 years and then found a good deal on a used ‘14 ED.

I decided to keep my ICE smart and add the ED because, truth be told, the ED only works for ~95% of my commuting needs.

There is the rare occasion I want to take the long way home through the countryside or I need to run all over the place for something, but that’s not the norm. On those days I take the gas smart.

In the year I’ve owned both smarts I’ve put 11k miles on my electric and only about 2k miles on my gas (with a couple of small road trips). The gas smart still gets a lot of use by other family members, but I’ve only been in the car for 2k miles in a year.


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[Ety Bity]

You all in favor of electric cars make me laugh. I live in SoCal and all our freeways are a mess! To go anywhere anymore than say 60-70 miles one way is practically a day's journey. I'd like to see those who tell people that drive a long distance to work to "get a job closer", come out here and do it. Good luck! Then, on top of that try to find the charging stations. Sure, if you're female driving alone, you for sure want to stop somewhere behind buildings, along lonely stretches of freeways, casino parking lots, etc. to sit in your car forever while it charges, seeing every creep coming out of bushes and behind dumpsters to check you out. It's foolish to purchase an electric car out here, unless you have golf clubs on the back and you're headed for the 9th or 18th hole. People on the freeway see electric cars as a nuisance to be behind or next to, and they seem to aim to terrorize the driver of the electric car just for fun or for getting in their way.

Smart's biggest mistake ever. Electrics are great in small town driving and across the seas, but not here, especially West of the Mid line.

 

[Johannesl]

You all in favor of electric cars make me laugh. I live in SoCal and all our freeways are a mess!



Smart's biggest mistake ever. Electrics are great in small town driving and across the seas, but not here, especially West of the Mid line.

Not all EVs are slow charging like our smarts. True, you still spend time charging. I see lots of EVs here in the Bay Area, and even further out in the country where I live. I personally only charge mine at home, over night. The smart doesn’t have much range and I WOULD like a longer range EV, but for where I live and what I drive it works well enough. (I do 45 miles highway a day, and 10 extra city miles some days.)


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[door2416]

My opinion is if the gas version of the Smart can't keep the brand going the electric version doesn't have a chance at all. It may be fun to drive, but if I were looking to buy an electric car there are far better cars than the Smart out there. Outside of the price to buy a used ED (because of it's fantastic depreciation) I can't think of any reason to put it on any buy list.

 

[jimvw57]

In my profession, you take what is there. The wife works in town, kids were in school here in town, and have owned the house for close to 17 years now, and nearing retirement in roughly 6 months. Moving now would still cost me as the wife works here, our combined driving miles wouldn't change. Plus knowing I have to drive roughly an hour to respond the emergency calls makes work evaluate if it is a real emergency or not. I could get employment in the next closest market, but that would be a 50 mile commute each way, and in heavy traffic Housing costs are much lower here than in the market closer to where I work, lower crime, etc. All a factor when I considered the job 22 years ago. Thus I purchased a car where I got better MPG than my Expedition which averaged 17MPG and replaced it with 46 MPG. Over the past 8+ years, I have saved quite a bit of money on gas.

Electric Vehicles have their place, just not for me. Once technology catches up to what I need (I have no doubt it will) then I can re-evaluate my options. In the meantime enjoy.

 

[jwight]

Just to add to Jim's thoughts, I'm not ready to let my choice of vehicle determine where I live and work (if I still worked...) In my view it's the other way around - we live and work where we need/want to, and choose the vehicle accordingly. YMMV.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

A long time back we had a member called Schaefca whose crystal ball projections somehow turned out mostly correct.

In my observations about smart's sales, another prediction is true: The forfour cannibalizes fortwo sales. The 453 fortwo's sales are already near the 451's worst years and the platform's only been on sale for three full years. The gap is made up by the forfour, where together they just barely beat what the 451 did alone in its first few years. For whatever reason (I suspect the polarizing design and an engine that performs worse than the 451 in city environments) the 453 isn't the hit MB really wanted it to be. And that's a shame because despite its faults (real or imagined), the 453 is an amazing vehicle.

I suspect the 453's lukewarm sales response (despite comparatively glowing reviews) is part of why smart has decided to give up on the ICE entirely. My concern here is that global sales of the ED are only a very small fraction of smart's overall global sales. I'm not sure how they'll maintain their profitability.