7 ms·

I would totally buy that here in Germany... 100 miles would be enough to get me to work and back the whole week, I could charge at the company and buying groce

I would totally buy that here in Germany... 100 miles would be enough to get me to work and back the whole week, I could charge at the company and buying groceries would be fine with this size of car, too. Totally reminds me of my smart, which was basically the same size and also this cheap. Buying an electric smart sets you back 21k € and you have to rent the battery on top (65 € per month), so it´s no real option...

baybal2 9y ago
Electric Smart clones from Zotye are sold right around $11 to $15k with VAT, and that with LiFePO4 batteries.
- sitkack 9y ago
  It looks like between the Zotye [0] and the e.GO [1], teensy electrics cars will be everywhere. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXodMy0HGMc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXodMy0HGMc [1] http://e-go-mobile.com/en/models/e.go-life/ http://e-go-mobile.com/en/models/e.go-life/
morganvachon 9y ago
I've never been a fan of the Smart line of cars, if only because they are so damned expensive here in the US ($15k for the base model, 39mpg). In my mind, there's absolutely nothing "smart" about a gas powered two-seater with no frills that costs several thousand more than a four-seater with all the options from Nissan (Versa, $12k, 36mpg) or GM (Spark, $13k, 39mpg), especially given comparable gas mileage and more power in the latter vehicles. The only advantage the Smart ForTwo ever had in this country was easier parking. That said, this new EV in the same form factor as the Smart, at that insanely low price, is a no-brainer for city commutes and perhaps even for suburban/semi-rural. I know I could easily get a week's worth of daily driving out of it, and like you, my company would allow me to charge at work. While we would definitely take the traditional sedan on any long trips or vacations, local trips would be fun and practical in a little EV. Unfortunately, just like the Smart, it would be horribly overpriced if it ever came Stateside.
- rmchugh 9y ago
  As far as I understood the article the low price seems to be due to Chinese government subsidies which may not be applicable if sold to another market.
- Retric 9y ago
  The expensive parts of cars have little direct relation to their size. Body panels are cheap, transmissions/airbags/brakes not so much. Which is why SUV's are so profitable as their markup relates to perception not cost.
- ansible 9y ago
  I've never been a fan of the Smart line of cars, if only because they are so damned expensive here in the US ($15k for the base model, 39mpg). I'd toyed with the idea of buying one when they first became available. But the fuel efficiency wasn't as good as some other contemporary vehicle models. And I'd be giving up a whole back seat. And performance was certainly anemic, even by sub-compact car standards. I'll probably just get a Prius next year. 50 mpg, as actually measured by outside firms like Consumer Reports. That's so impressive. I'd love to get an electric, but they're just too expensive still.
  - fhood 9y ago
    The fuel efficiency is inexcusable for a car that light and making that little power. The ford fiesta gets the same combined mileage while weighing nearly a thousand pounds more.
  - morganvachon 9y ago
    You know what's really impressive? Back in the early 2000s I bought a 1991 Honda CRX HF from a friend, and it got about 48 mpg even with 150k miles on the odometer. That wasn't a hybrid car, just a hyper-efficient gasoline engine in a lightweight body, and it still had enough pep to safely merge on the highway. One would think a modern plug-in hybrid would get well over 70 mpg.
    - 9y ago
Perseids 9y ago
Maybe the e.GO Life is interesting for you? http://e-go-mobile.com/en/models/e.go-life/ http://e-go-mobile.com/en/models/e.go-life/ It starts from EUR 15900 (or EUR 11900 if you discount the federal "E-Prämie") and production will start next year. (Disclaimer: I'm indirectly affiliated with e.Go)
- martin_a 9y ago
  Ah yeah, I know those ones. I find them quite interesting, but they are also not very cheap at all. I mean, you can buy used Renault Zoe models for around 10k Euro. Even if you have to rent the battery, you can probably pay 100 months of battery rent with the price difference... From my expectation, electric cars should just be cheaper as the whole engine system is so much cheaper. But yeah, batteries are not yet cheap at all and there are lots of development costs and so on... I´m really looking forward to cheap electric vehicles, those will be such great times. :-D
ryandrake 9y ago
Wow, 100 miles would not get me to work and back on a single day (Bay Area). Germany sounds nice :)
- martin_a 9y ago
  Well, this can happen to you in Germany, too. Normally a trip of up to one hour is "acceptable" for administrative bodies etc. so lots of people also have to commute quite long every day.
ams6110 9y ago
I would consider it for my kids who are just approaching driving age. Would easily get them to and from school and extracurricular activities. My concern with any car that small is crash safety. Just not room for any kind of significant crumple zone.
- martin_a 9y ago
  I crashed with my smart once (hit a massive pole) and nothing at all happened. Those small cars are built around some kind of monocoque which keeps you safe. The plastic obviously crashes but also absorbs energy just like some shock elements which every smart has... After all it´s a very safe car.

baybal2 9y ago

Electric Smart clones from Zotye are sold right around $11 to $15k with VAT, and that with LiFePO4 batteries.

sitkack 9y ago
It looks like between the Zotye [0] and the e.GO [1], teensy electrics cars will be everywhere. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXodMy0HGMc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXodMy0HGMc [1] http://e-go-mobile.com/en/models/e.go-life/ http://e-go-mobile.com/en/models/e.go-life/

morganvachon 9y ago

I've never been a fan of the Smart line of cars, if only because they are so damned expensive here in the US ($15k for the base model, 39mpg). In my mind, there's absolutely nothing "smart" about a gas powered two-seater with no frills that costs several thousand more than a four-seater with all the options from Nissan (Versa, $12k, 36mpg) or GM (Spark, $13k, 39mpg), especially given comparable gas mileage and more power in the latter vehicles. The only advantage the Smart ForTwo ever had in this country was easier parking. That said, this new EV in the same form factor as the Smart, at that insanely low price, is a no-brainer for city commutes and perhaps even for suburban/semi-rural. I know I could easily get a week's worth of daily driving out of it, and like you, my company would allow me to charge at work. While we would definitely take the traditional sedan on any long trips or vacations, local trips would be fun and practical in a little EV. Unfortunately, just like the Smart, it would be horribly overpriced if it ever came Stateside.

rmchugh 9y ago
As far as I understood the article the low price seems to be due to Chinese government subsidies which may not be applicable if sold to another market.
Retric 9y ago
The expensive parts of cars have little direct relation to their size. Body panels are cheap, transmissions/airbags/brakes not so much. Which is why SUV's are so profitable as their markup relates to perception not cost.
ansible 9y ago
I've never been a fan of the Smart line of cars, if only because they are so damned expensive here in the US ($15k for the base model, 39mpg). I'd toyed with the idea of buying one when they first became available. But the fuel efficiency wasn't as good as some other contemporary vehicle models. And I'd be giving up a whole back seat. And performance was certainly anemic, even by sub-compact car standards. I'll probably just get a Prius next year. 50 mpg, as actually measured by outside firms like Consumer Reports. That's so impressive. I'd love to get an electric, but they're just too expensive still.
- fhood 9y ago
  The fuel efficiency is inexcusable for a car that light and making that little power. The ford fiesta gets the same combined mileage while weighing nearly a thousand pounds more.
- morganvachon 9y ago
  You know what's really impressive? Back in the early 2000s I bought a 1991 Honda CRX HF from a friend, and it got about 48 mpg even with 150k miles on the odometer. That wasn't a hybrid car, just a hyper-efficient gasoline engine in a lightweight body, and it still had enough pep to safely merge on the highway. One would think a modern plug-in hybrid would get well over 70 mpg.
  - 9y ago

Perseids 9y ago

Maybe the e.GO Life is interesting for you? http://e-go-mobile.com/en/models/e.go-life/ http://e-go-mobile.com/en/models/e.go-life/ It starts from EUR 15900 (or EUR 11900 if you discount the federal "E-Prämie") and production will start next year. (Disclaimer: I'm indirectly affiliated with e.Go)

martin_a 9y ago
Ah yeah, I know those ones. I find them quite interesting, but they are also not very cheap at all. I mean, you can buy used Renault Zoe models for around 10k Euro. Even if you have to rent the battery, you can probably pay 100 months of battery rent with the price difference... From my expectation, electric cars should just be cheaper as the whole engine system is so much cheaper. But yeah, batteries are not yet cheap at all and there are lots of development costs and so on... I´m really looking forward to cheap electric vehicles, those will be such great times. :-D

ryandrake 9y ago

Wow, 100 miles would not get me to work and back on a single day (Bay Area). Germany sounds nice :)

martin_a 9y ago
Well, this can happen to you in Germany, too. Normally a trip of up to one hour is "acceptable" for administrative bodies etc. so lots of people also have to commute quite long every day.

ams6110 9y ago

I would consider it for my kids who are just approaching driving age. Would easily get them to and from school and extracurricular activities. My concern with any car that small is crash safety. Just not room for any kind of significant crumple zone.

martin_a 9y ago
I crashed with my smart once (hit a massive pole) and nothing at all happened. Those small cars are built around some kind of monocoque which keeps you safe. The plastic obviously crashes but also absorbs energy just like some shock elements which every smart has... After all it´s a very safe car.