New dedicated EV platform (Kia / Hyundai)

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by JSH

The Smart ED was miserable as a car but the best version of a Smart ForTwo

I'm not so vain, but even I probably wouldn't drive a car named after a male disfunction.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

I'm not so vain, but even I probably wouldn't drive a car named after a male disfunction.

I made a similar joke about the ED name with some German co-workers and they didn't get it. Maybe someone finally told the Mercedes brand manager what ED means in the USA and that is why they changed their electric sub brand to EQ.

[freebeard]

Coulda been worse, they could have called it the Nova.

[RedDevil]

'Smart' actually means mournful or painful in Dutch. But the English meaning is well known and few people even notice the awkwardness.

The Smart EV has no gearbox, that alone is already a great improvement over the other ForTwo versions.

Then there's this:

Essential importance for Tesla Motors
Although Tesla Motors was not directly involved in the development of the final Smart ED3 purchase model, the Daimler partnership concerning the Smart ED2[17] was essential for Tesla. Elon Musk said at the 2016 Tesla shareholder meeting: "If we hadn’t done that [the Daimler cooperation],[58] Tesla would have died because the Daimler partnership gave us credibility, that a major OEM was willing to work with us, and they also paid us for the [Smart ED2] development program which is really helpful from a revenue standpoint". "Without that investment, Tesla would have been game over".[59]

[JSH]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

The Smart EV has no gearbox, that alone is already a great improvement over the other ForTwo versions.

It is an improvement over the gas version but it is still a pretty horrible car. Pre COVID we had 6 as pool share cars at work. The tiny wheels and short wheelbase makes them ride horribly on anything but perfectly smooth roads.

The Smart's one big benefit is the ability to "parallel" park nose to curb in tiny spots. However, that is illegal in many places in the USA

The Smart ED was my gateway to getting an EV. When they showed up as pool cars at work I checked one out to take home overnight. I wanted to compare the EPA certified range to reality on my 50 mile commute. The 57 mile Smart ED made the trip with plenty of range to spare and the next week I picked up a Spark EV.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by JSH

I made a similar joke about the ED name with some German co-workers and they didn't get it. Maybe someone finally told the Mercedes brand manager what ED means in the USA and that is why they changed their electric sub brand to EQ.

There's a rumor that, as damage control, the M-B ' Blue-Efficiency' was associated with a certain, $ 60/ pill, prescription-only product, offered by Pfizer.

[samwichse]

Originally Posted by JSH

Automakers have been busy making electric cars that don't sell. There are plenty in the used market for cheap. Hard to get less car than the Spark EV I had or a Fiat 500e. The Smart ED was miserable as a car but the best version of a Smart ForTwo

Mini has a new Mini EV that is cheaper than the gas version after tax credit.

Yeah, but I would love one of the new 500e's they sell in Europe with a ground-up EV chassis and better range. I've had my eye on a used Spark EV for a while now, but they're hard to find around here. I'd rather not buy a car sight unseen AND pay shipping. Supposedly the EV powertrain turned the Spark from the worst, to the best car its class.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by samwichse

Yeah, but I would love one of the new 500e's they sell in Europe with a ground-up EV chassis and better range. I've had my eye on a used Spark EV for a while now, but they're hard to find around here. I'd rather not buy a car sight unseen AND pay shipping. Supposedly the EV powertrain turned the Spark from the worst, to the best car its class.

I don't know where "the edge of nowhere" is but the Spark EV was only sold in California, Oregon for 2014, 2015; GM added Maryland for 2016.

Also the first year had A123 batteries while 2015 and 2016 were LG cells.

The Spark EV is a VERY fun car to drive if the 82 mile range works for you. To be great it needs two things.

1. Better tires - that is easily fixed by the aftermarket
2. A limited slip differential. I don't know of anyone that makes one for the Spark but 400 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels makes for massive torque steer.

[Stubby79]

Spark EVs are available up here too!

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Stubby79

Spark EVs are available up here too!

All of Canada or just BC?