diesel Smart car

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Permalink Reply by Robert Ricewasser on July 18, 2009 at 3:02pm

From what I have heard & read, the diesel will not be coming to the US. We will get the ED (electric drive) within a year if everything goes as planned.

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Permalink Reply by Dennis on July 18, 2009 at 5:22pm

that is a pretty big disappointment because where I live the electric car is not a very efficient vehicle with it only getting 80 miles to a charge. And my understanding the diesel is getting 90 miles to a gallon.

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Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on July 18, 2009 at 7:41pm

There is something odd about the diesel smart not being available in all markets.
In Australia we seem to have all the SUV diesels (including diesel Jeeps!) plus the new crop of small French diesel cars and the VW's... but not the smart. We don't have the odd US "particulate emissions" objection that was probably spawned by California and the automakers in the 90s... so the decision is most likely down to smart and MB.

The diesel is rated at 33 kW (45 bhp) and torque at 110 Nm... compared to the US petrol engine rated at 52 kW (71 bhp) with 92 Nm torque, the diesel is slow to 100 kph with 19.8 seconds while the petrol 71 bhp seems zippy at 13.3 secs. My 84 bhp 120 Nm turbo is rated at 10.9 seconds 0 to 100 kph... so I for one have no real interest in a slow diesel.

Some of the new, small diesel cars are very quick... the current (799cc) diesel smart is not... so maybe that's why it is not common overseas.

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Permalink Reply by mr bad example on July 19, 2009 at 4:20am

the way things are going in the states, i think we should sell kalifornia to mexico or china, they are a black hole in finances, mental capacity, and basically the land of fruits and nuts!

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Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on July 19, 2009 at 5:01am

The joke in Alabama was:
"pick up the US by the east coast and give it a good shake... all the flakes and nuts fall to west.."

California is a big State, bigger than most European countries; so it does have some clout. LA smog is an unfortunate reality. The price they pay for being a motor car city hemmed in by the hills; but that should not control national policies.

I don't understand the "particulate emissions" argument against diesel. All the modern ones I encounter don't smell and don't emit anything noticeable. The days of the smelly exhaust clouds are long gone.

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Permalink Reply by mr bad example on July 27, 2009 at 8:51pm

i like that, pick up the states by the east coast and give it a good shake! then go back to kali and get rid of the east coasters the same way, then america will be pure "fly over" country...

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Permalink Reply by Harlan Harland on July 23, 2009 at 3:47pm

never they do not want you to be a great country in have something that eexon can compete with.

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Permalink Reply by mr bad example on July 27, 2009 at 8:46pm

obama is working on that, appologizing to the world for what the USA is, then when he insults the cambridge police dept, he shuts up! after obama nationalizes health care here, he'll gun for the oil companies like chavez! the oil companies have what's left of the $$$ in this country, he already took out the major banks, insurance companies and 2 out of 3 automakers in the first 4 months...

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Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on July 27, 2009 at 9:05pm

The present US difficulties were spawned by the Democrats under Clinton. Republicans had Bush and didn't know what to do about the mess... so the ultimate distraction (start a war someplace) was almost inevitable. Obama was naive enough to make election promises that are non-sustainable. Health care is the classic black hole (no pun intended). $500+ for Blue Cross per month puts employees in bondage... Cobra can cripple the unemployed (pun intended.)

Unfortunately, Australians sort of followed the US and elected the Labor Party (nearest Aussie equivalent to US Democrats) and we now have a twit who is rapidly building up long term debt with short term, irrational and irresponsible spending sprees. Scary thought: think back when the last National Socialist Party arose during a major depression.

The auto makers' spin doctors are filling the political hyperbole coffers with talk about the "Old GM"... not being the mold for the "New GM"... yeah, right! Some habits are real hard to break.

More to the point is how smart USA will cope with this years sales being way below last years'. They need to import the next gen diesel and not fool around with electric.

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Permalink Reply by mr bad example on July 27, 2009 at 9:48pm

spot on! last time i was at the smart center, there were over a dozen sitting around without plates... 3 brabus'!

with GM, they dump the shareholders and give it to the union schmucks who broke it in the first place!
(i'm surprised this hasn't been to a bankruptcy court and been thrown out into obama's jug eared face).

the diesel is a better alternative here, i don't have anyplace to plug in a car, living 200 feet south and 20 feet above where my car is parked. if i land this new job tomorrow, i'll put a deposit on another black smart, get the passion this time, keep my #10 radio, and enjoy power windows and leather seats. smarts aren't selling for $3-5,000 over list like last year, but gas is going back up now...

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Permalink Reply by Ian Pellant on July 27, 2009 at 10:07pm

Yep... the simple reality is that the electric is best suited to inner city use where stop, stop, go and slow are the needs. But most city dwellers live in apartment blocks and don't have a garage with charging socket. The surge in small diesel cars in Europe is a response to this reality. Electric is no use unless the city has lots of charging stands where drivers can park for long periods... just imagine the double whammy of having to pay meter parking rates, plus electricity charging rates. The sums don't add up when compared to diesel.

City infrastructure has to develop cheap electrical charging points... but the world forecast is for electricity costs to rise rapidly... due to carbon trading / Emissions Trading Schemes adding taxes to coal (keep a watch on the discussions this coming December).

Never, ever allow accountants or politicians to make technological decisions!

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Permalink Reply by mr bad example on July 27, 2009 at 10:00pm

one ironic comedy comes to mind, "the producers"...

zero mostel and gene wilder....

"springtime for hitler and germany"

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