2016 Smart Fortwo on 2040-cars

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Smart will show new electric concept in Paris

Smart, the Daimler-Benz city car brand, is 20 years old. Its first product, the City-Coupe was presented in fall 1998, based on earlier concepts designed in tandem with the Swiss watchmaker Swatch. The two decades have seen Smart produce different cars such as low-slung roadsters and four-door Forfours based on Mitsubishi running gear, but the tall and short city car is what Smart has always been about. The new concept, called Forease, retains the "classic" Smart appearance, just restyled for the next decade. The completely roofless Forease resembles an earlier limited-edition Smart production version, the slightly sandal-like 2002 Crossblade, but it's a fully electric vehicle unlike the Crossblade; later on in 2011, Smart also showed an electric concept called Forspeed. The Smart brand is turning electric-only in 2020, and the concept will herald that era. From 2017 on, Smart has already started selling solely electric cars in the U.S., Canada and Norway. According to the manufacturer, the Forease concept itself is an "uncompromised" and "uncomplicated" urban mobility vehicle, with both a cut-down windshield and a cut steering wheel. There are roll hoops behind the seats, molded into the rear structure. There is no roof at all, not even a temporary hardtop, so the HVAC system has been removed and the dashboard's vents have been filled in with extra displays. "The Smart Forease is proof that Smart thinks unconventionally. Its design is reduced and pure," said Gorden Wagener, Daimler AG's chief design officer. Related Video:

Recharge Wrap-up: Charging in Iceland, Smart "For" campaign, Honda open sources Smart Home

Iceland's EV charging network is expanding by 200 units. A subsidiary of Northern Lights Energy called EVEN is providing and installing the rapid chargers, which it hopes to have installed by the end of the year. EVEN's Gisli Gislasson says, "We couldn't wait for the government and decided to do our part in this." Iceland's government hopes to have 10 percent of the cars on its road powered by sustainable fuels by 2020. Read more at Iceland Review. Argonne National Laboratory is working to create universal charging for electric vehicles. Through its new Electric Vehicle Interoperability Center, the group is studying ways to standardize charging so any type of electric vehicle in any country can charge at any charging station. Additionally, the research is working on ways to better integrate electric cars to a smart grid, to the point where EVs could even act as part of the grid, charging when they need it and providing electricity during peak hours. Go to Phys.org for more details. Smart has launched its "For" campaign in Europe. The maker of the tiny city cars is reaching out to the public through updated branding, ads through various channels and social media engagement to get people thinking about Smart in fresh ways. The campaign emphasizes the "For" idea, as in "For challenging the status quo," "For loving the city," etc. Also as part of the campaign, Smart will be embarking on a Europe-wide roadshow to 15 different cities, where the public can learn more about the cars – particularly the Fortwo and Forfour models – and even arrange a test drive. Read more in the press release below. Honda is publicly sharing plans associated with its Smart Home project. The project, which goes beyond cars and into the home to look for ways to live efficiently and reduce CO2 emissions, involves sustainable energy and heating and cooling methods, smart lighting, sustainable building materials and waste management, passive design and, of course, vehicle charging. Now, technical details such as architectural plans, mechanical drawings, furniture specs and CAD data will be open-source and publicly available for any interested parties. Check out the Honda Smart Home website to learn more, or to start downloading the plans yourself. "FOR" brand campaign: smart: More than just a car Functionality, innovation and joie de vivre – these are the brand values that make smart so unique. smart sees itself as a future-oriented, visionary brand that stands for a great idea.

Car2go now has 1,000,000 members

Turns out, 1,000,000 people sharing 12,000 cars can have a big impact. Now that Car2go has claimed the seven-digit member figure (disclosure: I'm one of those million), the Daimler-owned carsharing company is, ahem, sharing a few figures in the traditional infographic format. Click the image above to enlarge it. Using cars in 29 "Home Areas" in eight countries around the world, Car2go members have driven 136,701,662 total miles over 32 million trips. Daimler also said that the average trip time was between 19 and 25 minutes. We have to assume that the 18 trips used as a "wedding getaway car" took a bit longer than that. Thus far, Car2go is open only in cities in Europe and North America, but we recently learned that expansion to Asia is in the works. The carsharing company has evolved since starting in 2009, adding more transportation options in some areas and turning members' cell phones into a gadget that can start and end trips. Find more in the press release below. car2go Reaches 1,000,000 Members, Marking Its Spot As The Largest Carsharing Company In The World In Celebration of 1M Member Milestone, car2go Reveals User Behavior Data Since Launch AUSTIN, Texas, Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- car2go, the largest carsharing company in the world, announced today that its revolutionary, one-way carsharing service has reached one million members with access to 12,000 car2go vehicles in 60 cities within 29 operating Home Areas and eight countries across the globe. Additionally, for the first time ever, car2go revealed user behavior data, illustrating its sheer growth since the company launched in 2009. "Providing our members the best car2go experience with their honest feedback has always been such an important part of our overall growth strategy," said Paul DeLong, CMO of car2go North America. "We've seen tremendous growth since we first launched, and the strong adoption rate is a testament that our valued members are truly responding to our efforts to help them get from Point A to Point B with absolute ease. We know that we can't rest - we will continue to innovate and improve car2go in our existing markets, and introduce car2go to additional cities around the world.