Smart to premiere all-electric pickup
At next month's Detroit Auto Show, Smart, maker of diminutive automobiles, will premiere its newest model: the Smart For-Us all-electric pickup.
Smart aims to market its new model to the "young and young-at-heart", as a green, space-saving, and utilitarian alternative for active urbanites.
The Smart For-Us "translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of 21st century urban traffic for the first time," the company said in a statement.
The For-Us is less than 140 inches long, but it features a longer wheelbase than its cousin, the Smart Fortwo, as well as a wider track. The electrically-powered tailgate slides down, allowing for easy access to the cargo area, which is big enough to hold two bicycles.
The two-seater's new model also features gadgets like a smartphone instead of a rearview mirror - which, thanks to an integrated video camera, allows the driver to see what's happening behind the car.
Like the Fortwo, which is launching next spring, the For-Us is all-electric, featuring a 55kW (around 73 horsepower) magneto-electric motor. According to the company, the car can reach a maximum speed of 120 miles per hour.
Many city-dwellers out there will have experienced Smart-car-envy when passing one parked in an impossibly small space. The For-Us may make Smart appealing not only as an efficient city car, but a good bet for urbanites who like to get out of the city as well.
Photos: Smart
via [AutoblogGreen, CNNMoney]
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com