Electric Smart Car by Tesla?

jorgbrown · 08-30-2008, 04:01 AM

So autobloggreen got a story from Financial Times about Tesla supplying batteries for the SmartCar.

Financial Times confirms Tesla to supply batteries for electric Smart - AutoblogGreen

It reminded me of something I saw in the parking lot of Tesla Motors in San Carlos

Note 1: The Tesla MFG (Manufacturing) license plate.

Note 2: No exhaust

Note 3: The gearshift was the Tesla 1/2/R shifter, not the SmartCar shifter. I couldn't get a good shot with my celphone, so I had to come back with a better camera, but by then the car was gone. Sigh.

For comparison, here's a shot of a real SmartCar that shows you where the exhaust pipes would be:

malcolm · 08-30-2008, 05:30 AM

Fantastic news. Thank you jorgbrown.

The upshot of this is that a Bluestar "clone" can come to market years ahead of schedule.

The smart fortwo was originally intended to be a hybrid back in the days when swatch were involved. Various companies have made EV versions over the years including the UK's Zytek, who also made an elecrtic Elise - now in the Gaydon Motor Museum.

If Tesla are sharing battery technology, I hope that Daimler are sharing their polymer body panel processing techniques.

dpeilow · 08-30-2008, 05:58 AM

When did you see that, Jorg?

jorgbrown · 08-30-2008, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpeilow

When did you see that, Jorg?

About 3 weeks ago.

WarpedOne · 08-30-2008, 03:38 PM

Hmm, I'd say there is more in this deal than just batteries.

PEM must be intimately knowledgable about the battery properties so PEM is probably also TM's, maybe a scaled down version of Roadster's one. Don't know about motor. That is probably daimlers or something of-the-shelf.

doug · 08-30-2008, 05:14 PM

There was a Flickr photo a while back with a bunch of Smart Cars parked out by the San Carlos shop. So Tesla has been working on them for a while. Supposedly the electric Smart will not compete with Bluestar. But you'd think that if they brought this to the US, it might:

WarpedOne · 08-31-2008, 02:45 AM

Yup, electric Smart Roadster is something I'd buy but they don't make them any more.

dpeilow · 08-31-2008, 03:39 AM

I always liked the look of the ForFour as a practical city car, but unfortunately they've stopped making that too

flabby · 09-02-2008, 10:18 PM

Some more news about the smart ED

Smart ED test is in full swing in Islington, UK - AutoblogGreen

graham · 09-15-2008, 07:51 AM

Another Smart Car captured at the Tesla Menlo Park store: