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When will 2017 Smart ED arrive?

6K views 42 replies 17 participants last post by  pvesmart 
#1 · (Edited)
I placed an order for a 2017 Smart ED in Sep-2016. We were told to expect the car by the beginning of 2017. My 2014 Smart EV lease expired in Nov-2016, so Mercedes-Benz is extending our lease month-to-month.

Today, Feb-21-2017, I called the sales rep at San Francisco Mercedes-Benz to find out what happened to our order. He said that MB has not even priced the cars yet and that they expect MB to start manufacturing in Aug-2017. So then we would get the car in Nov-Dec, over one year since our order. They haven't even deposited our check yet. The Salesman said they don't deposit the check until an order with pricing has been entered in the system.

Is this guy telling me the truth about the M-B manufacturing times? Has anyone ordered and received a 2017 Smart ED yet?

-mj lee
 
#3 ·
Has anyone ordered and received a 2017 Smart ED yet?
No, none have been delivered into the wilds of N.A.

And until we see final EPA range numbers for the Monroney sticker there will be none sold in the U.S.

There is probably a lot of fancy footwork going on behind-the-scenes at this moment.
Steven, you are too kind based on your journey with smart!

Dunno about "fancy footwork" but probably pumping up the smoke and cleaning some mirrors?
 
#37 ·
Any update on USA arrival of 2017 Smart ED?

No, none have been delivered into the wilds of N.A.
And until we see final EPA range numbers for the Monroney sticker there will be none sold in the U.S. ...
Manufacturing begins in March...
Hi everyone, thanks for all your replies in the past. I'm checking back into this thread to see if anyone has anything new to add. It's now late-May, and we have never heard back from the dealer on the deposit & order we made in Sep-2016.

We have been on a month-to-month lease extension with Daimler, but just this week they sent us a contract for a 6-month extension. I don't know if that's because they are tired of calling us every month to confirm the extension, or if M-Benz has abandoned the 2017 ED.

Does anyone know if the battery range was staying the same for 2017? We test drove a BMW i3 and it goes 120 miles. But it's not as small and cute as our Smart "baby car".
 
#10 ·
update on manufacturing date

Our M-B of San Francisco sales rep told us that he was slightly off, and that our 2017 Smart ED is going to be manufactured in April, which means we could get it around August. In the interim, M-B Financial extended our lease for 6 more months, instead of going month-to-month.

A downside of month-to-month was that we did not get a renewal notice for our car registration. I discovered that last week, when i got a $55 parking ticket for expired tags. We totally forgot about the car reg, since the California DMV did not send us a letter. That's actually what triggered my call to the dealer and then this posting.

We're pretty disappointed with M-B. As much as I love my 2014 Smart EV, I feel like this 2017 ED is a myth. And with just 60 miles of usable range, maybe it's time to move beyond the cuteness factor. We're going to go test drive EV alternatives.
 
#11 ·
Our M-B of San Francisco sales rep told us that he was slightly off, and that our 2017 Smart ED is going to be manufactured in April, which means we could get it around August. In the interim, M-B Financial extended our lease for 6 more months, instead of going month-to-month.

A downside of month-to-month was that we did not get a renewal notice for our car registration. I discovered that last week, when i got a $55 parking ticket for expired tags. We totally forgot about the car reg, since the California DMV did not send us a letter. That's actually what triggered my call to the dealer and then this posting.

We're pretty disappointed with M-B. As much as I love my 2014 Smart EV, I feel like this 2017 ED is a myth. And with just 60 miles of usable range, maybe it's time to move beyond the cuteness factor. We're going to go test drive EV alternatives.
There is technically not a release date yet, but May is a possibility, June is the target, but of course a little later is a possibility as delays do occur at times.
 
#12 ·
We're pretty disappointed with M-B. As much as I love my 2014 Smart EV, I feel like this 2017 ED is a myth. And with just 60 miles of usable range, maybe it's time to move beyond the cuteness factor. We're going to go test drive EV alternatives.

More like 70 to 80 mile range...
 
#17 ·
Depends on your needs. If you do mostly city driving in a second car with just one or two passengers, tough to beat the ED. Right now you can buy a 2014 with low mileage for $4500 (2015 not much more). Even if you buy the battery outright and add in some fees, you're looking at under 10K. Take advantage of the SMART's bad publicity (on the gas side) and take advantage while gas prices are low. Of course, if you have to have the newest model, or only have one car to use and need to take long trips or hold lots of people, a 2014 ED won't work.
 
#18 · (Edited)
First quarter of 2018

My take, which means nothing. MB sees something wrong in the biz.

The bean counters say no, the board says yes !

So, they drop a year like the Fit did.

What will be different is when the 2017/18 hits.

I really believe the choice between a gas and electric will narrow so much, it will be something to watch.

I ordered mine a week after I picked up the gas 2016 in January, 2017.

It is not going to be something small. I am seeing a battery that will outlast the normal short hour driver.

Not only that, I see a two way no re-charge trip lengthening. MB might have looked at the Chevy and said, enough.

Ze' Germans are coming. Short dialogue from the "Snatch" movie when Tommy bought a gun from "Boris the Blade."

It will be absolutely phenomenal, low priced or really bad. I opt for a high mileage Smart no one will touch. Hope eternal.
 
#20 ·
I'm sure MB is in no hurry to get the next model ED out. Consider that the sales price of 2014 and 2015 ED is now down to 5K, which means MB only gets perhaps 2K at auction or sale to dealers for all the 2014 and 2015 models coming off lease in the coming months; just isn't enough demand to keep the price up. Not only does MB lose a lot of money but the cars reputation suffers for poor resale. It is in their best interest to not flood the market with new 2017/18 ED until resale prices recover some. Not only that, but it is hard to sell a 2017/18 for 20K if it is sitting next to a slightly used 2015 for 5K.
 
#24 ·
It's hard to tell if I've landed in Woodstock

This guy's name is Stephen Eldelstein. The article is marked February 17, 2017.

This appeared on his tree hugging sight, I love trees.

------
Pic of a 2017 Leaf

Several different states have continued to propose new fees for electric-car owners as a way to pay for road repairs.

The fees are typically meant as a substitute for the gasoline taxes that, because they don't buy gas, electric-car owners don't pay.

Advocates have criticized these fees, saying they effectively penalize drivers for reducing emissions, and may dissuade potential buyers.


DON'T MISS: Indiana too slaps electric cars with $150 fee for not using gas

Nonetheless, 2017 has already seen a flurry of new proposed electric-car fees.

Just since the start of this year, no fewer than six states have introduced bills that would add fees for electric-car owners, according to the Sierra Club.

Those states are: Indiana, South Carolina, Kansas, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and Montana.
------
The key is proposed not law. The site seems to be more mangled than another I know of. Sorry Steve if you are a member. I believe you would think this kind of news qualifies as one recent person has labeled. $$$$ $$$$.
 
#25 ·
I drive an electric car and in NC I have to pay an additional $100 per year when I renew my registration. Sure I'd prefer not to have to pay that, but OTOH I suppose I should chip in a little for road repairs since I don't pay any gasoline tax. I look at all the gasoline tax I'm not paying on my ICE cars and figure I'm still way ahead of the game.

Len
2014 EV
 
#27 ·
When we went to the dealership in Sep-2016, there was a significant body style change between 2016 and 2017 models. We drove a 2017 gas and were amazed at the turning radius, which is a new feature. And the interior was quite improved over 2016. The dealer said 2017 ED would look same as gas. We declined to lease a 2016 becuz we wanted that turning radius and cruise control, which will be standard on 2017.
 
#34 ·
You could be correct, but I'm curious as to why. Perhaps if you get too close to 0% or too close to 100% you introduce thermal effects or cause stress in the system or something? Perhaps something about Li ion batteries is different than standard rechargable batteries in laptops or cellphones? Or perhaps the same is true for those types of batteries but there is no recommendation because those companies don't insure their batteries. If MB is on the hook for these batteries for a decade, I'm sure they want to encourage you to nurse the batteries as much as possible, which could be why they put these recommendations in the manual.
 
#39 ·
Lithium li-ion batteries have been touchy since they were introduced.

They are a radical improvement of what I came up with.

They need attention like a child. I have ruined many for lack of attention. Not years but days.

I hope I read in the Smart manual not to go down past 20%. True or not I do not have one yet but I will abide by the rules on that one.
 
#43 · (Edited)
On Aug-12-2017, we got a call from the Smart Car dealership in San Francisco that the car we had ordered had finally arrived. That was 11 months after we placed the order. They said that dozens of the cars had suddenly shown up without any warning.

Unfortunately, we had given up on ever getting the car and had leased a BMW i3 EV in June. The i3 costs twice as much, but it is larger and goes 120+ miles on one charge. So as much as I loved and miss our 2014 "baby car" Smart EV, we are happy we moved on.

Thank you for all your help and input. I would guess that if anyone really wants a 2017 Smart ED, they can probably still get one in SF.
 
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