2015 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe on 2040-cars

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Smart ForTwo Iceshine won't make your hair look any better

This must be a first: Smart has named its latest special edition ForTwo after a shampoo. Not really, but clearly someone at Daimler did not do due diligence (or use Google) before dreaming up the Iceshine moniker.
The Smart ForTwo Iceshine is a special edition based on the model's Passion trim level, while Ice Shine is a variety of Pantene. Coming in white and a special azure blue, the vehicular Iceshine matches those exterior colors with white alloys and white mirrors to give the Smartfortwo a positively twenty-five year-old feel. Other equipment includes LED daytime running lamps, "leather effect" seats, and a three-spoke leather steering wheel. Interior trim is done up in - you guessed it - white, including the rings around the Fortwo's instrumentation. Frankly, we're finding all of this about as exciting as washing your hair.
Smart will be looking to push only 1,800 of these onto the German market, starting at just over $18,000 for the coupe and roughly $22,000 for the convertible.

Recharge Wrap-up: Smart celebrates 5 years in China, France wants to quit diesel

Smart celebrated its fifth anniversary in China with a concert and two special editions of the Fortwo. The two editions include a China red version limited to five units and a Chinese New Year edition limited to 666 examples. Smart has 143 dealerships in 77 Chinese cities, with 60,000 cars sold so far. Daimler is also looking to expand its Car2go carsharing network in China using Smart vehicles. The anniversary celebration featured a live concert for 50,000 fans. Read more in the press release below. France has plans to build a nationwide EV charging network and retire diesel cars. Industrial group Bollore plans to build 16,000 public charging points in France, with the blessing of Finance Minister Emmanuel Macron, who says, "Through a private initiative with public support, we are accelerating our route towards having a truly national network of electric car charging points." Valls says, "In France, we have long favored the diesel engine. This was a mistake, and we will progressively undo that, intelligently and pragmatically." Read more at Charged EVs. Ninebot One is a self-balancing, hands-free electric unicycle. Think of it as a one-wheeled, no-hands Segway with some extra features. Like riding a bicycle for the firs time, it requires some getting used to, but the benefits seem worthwhile. Depending on the model, it offers up to nearly 19 miles of range on a single charge. It is fairly compact, using a single, 16-inch tire and it weighs about 30 pounds. Maximum speed ranges from 8 to 12 mph. It uses an app to track your travel and other stats. See what sort of training it takes to ride it in the video below, and learn more at the Ninebot website. A Tesla Model S owner has figured out a way to use a USB mouse with the car's center display. The car detected the mouse when plugged into the USB port, and placed a cursor on the display, allowing the user to control functions with the mouse. Trying some other USB devices, owners found that an external CD drive doesn't work with the audio system, nor does a USB keyboard. However, an owner was able to connect a USB floppy disk drive, for what it's worth. See it in action in the video below or read more at Teslarati. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Car2go turns your smartphone into carsharing key with Mobile Access

For all the smarts in the Smart cars used in Car2go, the cars haven't been smart enough to talk to users' smart phones. At least, not in the way you might want them to talk to each other. Until now, Car2go users have had to carry a special card with them to gain access to the broad network of carsharing vehicles. Now, you can get in and drive using your phone and the Car2go app. Previously, the app would let you find a Car2go vehicle, but an update to allow Mobile Access. As long as you can update your app to version 2.0 (on iOS or Android), you can now use your phone to find, reserve and unlock a Car2go to start your trip and then lock up and end your trip when you're done. The standard card still works, as well. The slick new feature works on all 12,500 Car2go vehicles in North America. The service was also recently updated with Regional Access to allow any user in North America to use a Car2go in any other North American city. When the European fleet gets integrated, we'll be even more excited. Read more below. With your phone replacing the card, Car2go has gotten a lot easier to use. I've certainly missed out on drives when I've forgotten my cars. With one less thing to carry, I've got one more reason to share a car. CAR2GO OFFERS MOBILE ACCESS TO ITS GLOBAL FLEET Members Will Now Be Able to Begin car2go Trips with their Smartphone Free Membership and Drive Time For a Limited Time AUSTIN, TX (November 24th, 2014) -- car2go North America LLC, the largest, fastest-growing global carsharing company, announced today the launch of Mobile Access, an upgraded app feature that allows members to not only search for and reserve a car2go vehicle, but begin their car2go trip via their smartphones. Beginning today, Mobile Access will serve as an alternative to the company's member card, which was, until now, the only way to access a car2go vehicle and end a ride. "At car2go, we are focused on improving our service and providing the best experience for our members with their feedback," said Paul DeLong, CMO of car2go North America. "With the addition of Mobile Access, we're making it easier for our members to get in a car2go. Having options are everything – now, our members won't have to carry their membership card – they'll be able to drive in no time." Mobile Access works similarly to the member card, allowing members to unlock a car2go and start their trip. Members can also continue to use their member card if they prefer.