When it launched the next-generation 2018 smart fortwo electric car in Paris last autumn, smart became the first automotive company in the world to offer a choice of gasoline engine or electric motor for each of its models. Just months later, we learn that consumers in North America will no longer have access to the gas-engine models.
That’s right – the new smart fortwo will only available as an all-electric version in Canada and the United States! It is expected in North American dealerships this coming spring, followed this summer by the electric fortwo cabriolet.
Sales of smart cars have been sluggish, the victim, along with many other small cars, of the easing of gas prices that has prompted many consumers to turn their attention to larger cars, notably SUVs.
By concentrating exclusively on the electric motor for its power generation, the smart fortwo focuses more sharply on its vocation as an urban car. No more long road trips, long live city driving!
It remains to be seen how consumers will react to the decision. Do you agree with the move by Daimler?