Timothy Lord Looks at Gas and Electric Smart Cars (Video)

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Timothy Lord Looks at Gas and Electric Smart Cars (Video)

Posted by Roblimo on Tuesday January 24, 2012 @01:09AM from the cars-are-now-smaller-quieter-and-more-costly-than-ever dept.

While he was at the International Auto Show in Detroit, Timothy Lord looked at the Tesla Model S, then the CODA electric car. Now he shows us the latest Smart (brand) gas and electric vehicles, including a "concept car" he doesn't think will make it into production.

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I slurped it! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:20 · Score: -1, Troll

I slurped it, I slurped it, I slurped it, I slurped it!
What did I slurped!?
Your fuckin' bootyass! I slurped it until there was spit all over it!
Turn to dust and die now!
what by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:22 · Score: -1

the fletch is up with this video? what is slashtard turning into, geektube? i don't want to listen or see some twit spewing saliva at the screen (wipe your chin, tim), i want to read in peace and not disturb the cats
1. Re:what by jimmetry · 2012-01-24 01:27 · Score: 0
  
  Apparently Timothy Lord is one of the Slashdot editors. Shameless "I'm famous" plug...
Bad music; park it anywhere, charge it nowhere by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:25 · Score: 1

Please stop with the bad music in the videos.
Its nice that you can park one of these anywhere, but can't charge it anywhere except at home. Not ideal.
1. Re:Bad music; park it anywhere, charge it nowhere by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:53 · Score: 0
  
  What's up with the fucking intro too? Even in the 80's we had better robotic voicesynths, it took until I heard it the second time at the end before I even realized it was supposed to be speaking english.
  Ditch whatever the fuck it is you used to make that and use something better. Hell, even having Miku tweedle randomly in Japanese would be more intelligible
I get the feeling... by Tim4444 · 2012-01-24 01:26 · Score: 3, Insightful

that "smart" will be the adjective of this decade the way "on demand", "extreme" and "turbo" were misused in previous decade.
1. Re:I get the feeling... by Tim4444 · 2012-01-24 01:27 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  *decades - that is the 3 preceding
2. Re:I get the feeling... by EthanV2 · 2012-01-24 01:45 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Only in this case, "Smart" is the name of a company who makes cars.
3. Re:I get the feeling... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:49 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  80s: Turbo
  90s: Extreme
  00s: HD
  10s: Smart
4. Re:I get the feeling... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:55 · Score: 1
  
  Who mods this insightful? Its offtopic at best. In this case, Smart is a noun. The branch was founded in 1994, two decades ago.
5. Re:I get the feeling... by Canazza · 2012-01-24 02:01 · Score: 1
  
  They're owned by Mercedes too.
  
  --
  It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
6. Re:I get the feeling... by VortexCortex · 2012-01-24 02:18 · Score: 2
  
  Well, as long as they don't misuse "turbo" as they did three decades ago. I mean, depressing the "turbo" button let the CPU run at full speed, but not running in "turbo" mode was actually artificially underclothing the machine. It should have been called a "Slow Switch", not a "Tubo Button."
7. Re:I get the feeling... by CheerfulMacFanboy · 2012-01-24 02:38 · Score: 1
  
  Well, as long as they don't misuse "turbo" as they did three decades ago. I mean, depressing the "turbo" button let the CPU run at full speed, but not running in "turbo" mode was actually artificially underclothing the machine. It should have been called a "Slow Switch", not a "Tubo Button."
  You are ignoring that running at "normal" speed was the only way of letting you run DOS programs who relied on the PC being clocked like an IBM AT. and became unusable on anything faster. The Turbo mode was only intended for programs that weren't as brain damaged.
  
  --
  Fandroids hate facts.
8. Re:I get the feeling... by Dynamoo · 2012-01-24 02:56 · Score: 1
  
  But to be mega-pedantic, the company name is styled in lowercase as "smart". But, just to be awkward their performance partner is called BRABUS.. in uppercase. I used to have a "smart roadster BRABUS" which is an ungainly mix of upper and lowercase..
  
  --
  Never email donotemail@WeAreSpammers.com
9. Re:I get the feeling... by IwantToKeepAnon · 2012-01-25 01:38 · Score: 1
  
  that "smart" will be the adjective of this decade the way "on demand", "extreme" and "turbo" were misused in previous decade.
  
  Obligatory : http://xkcd.com/1007/
  
  --
  "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." -- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Why I will not buy one. by assertation · 2012-01-24 01:32 · Score: -1, Troll

Okay, I wouldn't buy one because they are butt-ugly, but even if the weren't I would buy one as they sell them in Europe by insulting Americans.
I am an American, but I am not my government or corporate America.
http://beforewisdom.com/blog/environment/why-i-will-not-buy-a-smart-car/
1. Re:Why I will not buy one. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:50 · Score: 0
  
  Wow. So we can add humourless to the growing list of American perjoratives now.
2. Re:Why I will not buy one. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 02:42 · Score: 1
  
  Looks like the Euro people are the ones without humor. If Chevy made a car saying "American know-how, German nothing", they would be yelled at on dailykos, truthout, and every single rag that isn't Fox Noise.
  The problem is that even though Europeans tend to call Americans provincial, they don't realize that a vehicle that is great on the streets of Paris is not going to work in the US in most areas. The electric cars with the 70 mile range are great for European cities, but in the US, not so much.
  It boils down to a fundamental difference between countries. In European city cores, you can take your kids and family, and at worst if you are dressed as an obnoxious foreigner, you might encounter a pickpocket. In England, maybe an obnoxious drunk. Here in the US, you step in the wrong neighborhood, a local thug will be carving their gang sign into the kid's skull after the parents encounter acute lead poisoning. Even in "better" cities, you will be attacked by homeless. A suatainable family life is just plain impossible in downtown areas. The city councils have little to no interest in dealing with safety, as the cash a town gets goes for football (US football) stadium building for sports teams. Even the small towns must spend millions on making sure they have as many Jumbotrons as the town down the state highway. For people to live safely, it takes moving to a suburban area. This is the only way to deal with crime here in the US due to the general indifference of the government (Oh... yes, people go to jail and prison, but almost always it is due to a drug charge... the violent inmates and the general scumbags tend to have free reign unless they commit murder, and in the southern part of the US, the country is essentially ceded to the drug cartels). Which means Americans have to commute for a lot longer than Europeans. American cities also have little to no transportation infrastructure other than New York, and the Bay Area. So, a car with a long range is a must. Buses are a joke in most American towns, and they tend to be the living room, kitchen, and bathroom for the homeless, so they are extremely unpleasant at best, dangerous at worst.
  Americans also tend to have higher speed collisions when driving. Seen the SMART car side impact test on the US NTSB site? It spins around like a top. Other cars will not move, other than slightly up and down with virtually zero injuries to the occupants. It is common for car/SUV wrecks to result in the SUV driver opening the door and getting out, while the fire department has to use the jaws of life to extract the occupants of the car. Seen this again and again.
  It would be nice if /. had more real articles. However, the articles are either how BitCoin is cool and people must shift their wealth to it (even though it dropped in value just by one "bank" getting compromised), how Apple's new iProduct will take over the world, and how a useless car made by a company soliciting for VC money is the be all and end all.
  Want to know the car to beat? The Honda CRX Si. That, or the turbo diesel VWs.
3. Re:Why I will not buy one. by compro01 · 2012-01-24 02:44 · Score: 2
  
  Ad campaign aside, the American version of the smart is a gimped heap of junk.
  Smart gasoline Europe : 4.7 L/100 km
  Smart diesel Europe : 3.4 L/100 km
  Smart gasoline US : 6.5 L/100 km
  smart diesel US : unavailable
  How the hell did they manage to cut the fuel economy by that much?
  
  --
  upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
4. Re:Why I will not buy one. by assertation · 2012-01-24 02:48 · Score: 1
  
  Mention any issue of national pride, ethnicity to a European and see what reaction you get.
5. Re:Why I will not buy one. by assertation · 2012-01-24 02:50 · Score: 1
  
  So someone who complains about people making derisive remarks about an entire country is a troll. Slahsdot: FAIL.
6. Re:Why I will not buy one. by shadowrat · 2012-01-24 02:56 · Score: 1
  
  Well pardner, we drive MILES in this country. I reckon they're about twice as big as your sissy little kilomawhosits. When you're driving for miles you need something bigger in the tank like GALLONS. Yee-HAW!
7. Re:Why I will not buy one. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 02:59 · Score: 0
  
  Looks like the Euro people are the ones without humor. If Chevy made a car saying "American know-how, German nothing", they would be yelled at on dailykos, truthout, and every single rag that isn't Fox Noise.
  But they essentially do. They don't specifically say "German nothing", they just say "MADE IN AMERICA" waving a flag in the background and have an eagle swoop down and salute the car. If you don't understand the juxtaposition in the Smart Car advert then it's a joke that has gone over your head, not because of 'ebil racism' or the like.
  
  It boils down to a fundamental difference between countries. In European city cores, you can take your kids and family, and at worst if you are dressed as an obnoxious foreigner, you might encounter a pickpocket. In England, maybe an obnoxious drunk. Here in the US, you step in the wrong neighborhood, a local thug will be carving their gang sign into the kid's skull after the parents encounter acute lead poisoning. Even in "better" cities, you will be attacked by homeless. A suatainable family life is just plain impossible in downtown areas. The city councils have little to no interest in dealing with safety, as the cash a town gets goes for football (US football) stadium building for sports teams. Even the small towns must spend millions on making sure they have as many Jumbotrons as the town down the state highway. For people to live safely, it takes moving to a suburban area. This is the only way to deal with crime here in the US due to the general indifference of the government (Oh... yes, people go to jail and prison, but almost always it is due to a drug charge... the violent inmates and the general scumbags tend to have free reign unless they commit murder, and in the southern part of the US, the country is essentially ceded to the drug cartels). Which means Americans have to commute for a lot longer than Europeans. American cities also have little to no transportation infrastructure other than New York, and the Bay Area. So, a car with a long range is a must. Buses are a joke in most American towns, and they tend to be the living room, kitchen, and bathroom for the homeless, so they are extremely unpleasant at best, dangerous at worst.
  Massive exaggeration, both in the danger in American cities and the safety of European ones. Besides that though, if your cities are so shitty why not try demanding something be done about it? Why not look at the reasons behind it (hint: the words 'socialised healtcare', 'welfare', and 'gun control' may come up here) instead of insisting that the American Way(tm) is best while, if your description is even remotely true, it evidently isn't working. You complain that city councils aren't interested in dealing with safety and that the South is ceded to the drug cartels; if so it's because you aren't interested in forcing the issue, you've abrogated your responsibility to demand that your government take these issues seriously. You accept these failures and then shrug and use enormous pseudo-APC cars as an inevitable consequence. And yet you'll moan when a European advert pokes fun at America's over-inflated national pride.
  
  Americans also tend to have higher speed collisions when driving. Seen the SMART car side impact test on the US NTSB site? It spins around like a top. Other cars will not move, other than slightly up and down with virtually zero injuries to the occupants. It is common for car/SUV wrecks to result in the SUV driver opening the door and getting out, while the fire department has to use the jaws of life to extract the occupants of the car. Seen this again and again.
  So your solution is an arms race of larger and heavier and less energy-efficient vehicles? Good plan.
8. Re:Why I will not buy one. by Bardwick · 2012-01-24 03:05 · Score: 1
  
  Just a guess really, but engines in the US, fuel economy has gone way up. Safety features = weight = lower milage. Polution controls = wieght = lower milage. Just a guess by folks that talk around the campfire.
9. Re:Why I will not buy one. by itsme1234 · 2012-01-24 03:30 · Score: 2
  
  I don't know about the "new" "Smarts" but the usual one in Europe is the 2-seater while the US is the 4-seater. The engines surely aren't the same as well.
10. Re:Why I will not buy one. by 0100010001010011 · 2012-01-24 03:42 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah, because Germany (home to the autobahn) doesn't have safety features or emissions regulations.
  The truth is that Americans want (not need) horsepower. So while the VW Golf may get 65MPG in England on the smallest engine, they only bring the largest engine to the states. Somehow people have been convinced by detroit that they need 300 HP for a 4 person sedan to get groceries.
  My 90 HP TDI gets around just fine and I have no issues on the highway but I despite getting the "Can you take that out on the highway" (people really are that dumb).
  It looks like Germany has both a 61 and 71 HP model while the US only has the 71 HP version.
  Even then the whole thing is a joke. It should be getting at least twice the fuel economy that it does. The VW Golf in England does.
11. Re:Why I will not buy one. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 03:46 · Score: 0
  
  Nice tap dance... On one hand, companies are free to insult the US as part of their marketing. On the other hand, if Wendy's said they were doing Freedom Fries or such, they would be called racist. Same tired old argument. Americans suck, any other group belittled is racism. This is an argument used to end any rational discussion and have things turn into namecalling.
  As for city safety, people have tried. However, they are outgunned by the gangbangers, pure and simple. Especially in areas like DC and Chicago where a legit citizen would be tossed in prison for possession of a firearm, while the gangbangers have complete free reign. Pissing in the wind gets you nowhere, and a person has to ensure their family is safe, so one moves out to suburbs where their kid grows up thinking strays are wandering dogs and cats, and not AK-47 rounds. As usual, the response is the "blame the people" argument, which is cowardly at best, and a common cudgel used against the US middle class (No jobs? Blame the lazy US worker. No health care? Blame the US worker). I guess one can also blame the Cambodian people for allowing Pol Pot to commit their atrocities, etc. Governments != people.
  Of course, the tired car arms race rears its head. Physics is physics. My VW isn't a huge car by any means, but it showed it can hold its own in the crash videos.
  Please... try to use arguments that might be rational instead of playing the "OMGZ ur racizt" card. In debate class, someone doing that immediately forfeits their argument and cause. Outside of debate class, it just means one is unable to push any valid points.
12. Re:Why I will not buy one. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 04:01 · Score: 0
  
  I got a shrug.
  What was your point?
13. Re:Why I will not buy one. by compro01 · 2012-01-24 04:37 · Score: 1
  
  No, I'm comparing the same vehicle, the second generation fortwo, which is the two seat one.
  
  --
  upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
14. Re:Why I will not buy one. by BasilBrush · 2012-01-24 04:56 · Score: 1
  
  It should be noted that the "German engineering; Swiss innovation; American nothing" ad was not for the European market but for South Africa.
  So the question to ask yourself is why would an ad that is respectful of German and Swiss industry and disrespectful of American industry play well in South Africa?
15. Re:Why I will not buy one. by compro01 · 2012-01-24 05:22 · Score: 1
  
  My 90 HP TDI gets around just fine and I have no issues on the highway but I despite getting the "Can you take that out on the highway" (people really are that dumb).
  Hell, my previous car that rolled out of Newark 20 years ago only output 100HP (probably significantly less by the time I bought it) and would still carry you clear to the limiter (171kph).
  
  --
  upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
16. Re:Why I will not buy one. by JasterBobaMereel · 2012-01-24 05:34 · Score: 1
  
  The testing they do to determine fuel efficiency is very different in the US ... most cars come out with much worse stats in US tests?
  Having said that my Petrol(Gas) Car was rated at 57mpg (Imperial UK Gallons) Combined- and that's roughly what I get most of the time ...so the Euro stats seem to be correct for normal use ?
  
  --
  Puteulanus fenestra mortis
17. Re:Why I will not buy one. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 06:25 · Score: 0
  
  So the question to ask yourself is why would an ad that is respectful of German and Swiss industry and disrespectful of American industry play well in South Africa?
  They like the Nazi's and those that let them match across Europe.
18. Re:Why I will not buy one. by phaggood · 2012-01-24 07:36 · Score: 1
  
  In European city cores, you can take your kids and family, and at worst if you are dressed as an obnoxious foreigner, you might encounter a pickpocket. In England, maybe an obnoxious drunk.
  Well, maybe, unless you're murdered
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16334214
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7777635.stm
  http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/01/04/men-sentenced-uk-black-teens-murder-infamous-case
19. Re:Why I will not buy one. by Dantoo · 2012-01-24 16:44 · Score: 1
  
  [quote]In England, maybe an obnoxious drunk.[/quote]
  Shit he was at the airport when I got there! Tried to just avoid him like everyone else until the true horror of the situation revealed itself. That wilted missive in his hand......it had my name on it!
WWot!? fp by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:34 · Score: -1

fun to be again.U m4ny of us are
Drop the videos please by Maury+Markowitz · 2012-01-24 01:34 · Score: 3

If I wanted to watch someone who has nothing to add and only repeats what the marketing driods tell them, I'd watch Fox.
Seriously /. these videos suck donkey. Spare us.
1. Re:Drop the videos please by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:36 · Score: 0
  
  Who the hell is Timothy Lord?
2. Re:Drop the videos please by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 01:56 · Score: 0
  
  I'm thinking he's the new Jon Katz. In that case it'll be 5 or 6 years and he'll do a piece on something fake, like someone from Kabul on a Commodore...
3. Re:Drop the videos please by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 02:02 · Score: 1
  
  If the videos bother you, STOP WATCHING THEM
4. Re:Drop the videos please by Mashiki · 2012-01-24 02:44 · Score: 1
  
  You'd watch Fox huh? No lambasting of all the other networks that are even worse like NPR, MSNBC, CBS? Oh well, if you're that blinded by partisanship you can only reap what you want.
  
  --
  Om, nomnomnom...
5. Re:Drop the videos please by Hillgiant · 2012-01-24 03:53 · Score: 1
  
  Videos are a good way to cover an inability to write with an avalanche of "um", "uh", and "so...."
  
  --
  -
6. Re:Drop the videos please by BasilBrush · 2012-01-24 04:38 · Score: 1
  
  Why is your partisanship any less bad than his?
  Objectively, he's probably right. They've done studies into how misinformed on current events the viewers of the various networks are. Fox viewers are the most misinformed.
7. Re:Drop the videos please by jheath314 · 2012-01-24 05:24 · Score: 1
  
  I can understand why you'd put ideological media like MSNBC on that list, but NPR... seriously? How is NPR "even worse" than Fox? The average NPR listener scores the highest on being able to correctly answer factual questions about world events (such as "have the opposition groups protesting in Egypt been successful in bringing down the regime there?"). FYI, Fox viewers not only scored lowest on such factual questions, they scored LOWER than those who don't watch news at all! (To be fair, MSNBC viewers were the next least-informed, but they still scored substantially better than Fox's victi^H^H^H viewers.)
  Here's the link to the study, in case you're interested: http://publicmind.fdu.edu/2011/knowless/
  Next time, try listening to NPR before bashing it... you might actually learn something.
  
  --
  Procrastination Man strikes again!
8. Re:Drop the videos please by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 14:48 · Score: 0
  
  If this comments bothered you, WHY DID YOU READ IT?
  There's a special place in hell for idiots as dumb as you.
Smart is the company name by slyrat · 2012-01-24 02:03 · Score: 2

that "smart" will be the adjective of this decade the way "on demand", "extreme" and "turbo" were misused in previous decade.
Try this same quote with other brand/company names, and it really doesn't make sense. Smart makes small cars in France and this is just some new cars they are trying out. I've seen the all electric smart, and if it didn't cost around $34,000 I might be interested. When I checked the one out that was at the dealer I found that when you buy it you get to set up a plug in power setup for it and your residence. It is a decent idea except that people that are renting wouldn't be able to do that.
Anyway, I've gotten off topic.
Smart is a noun in this case, not an adjective.
1. Re:Smart is the company name by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 03:13 · Score: 0
  
  people that are renting shouldn't be buying a 35,000 dollar car. That's whats wrong with america
2. Re:Smart is the company name by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 06:14 · Score: 0
  
  What about people that live in a condo? They own their condo but not the building and land it's on.
Am I the only one that wonders.... by Zorbane · 2012-01-24 02:10 · Score: 1

...if his middle name start with an E.

Tim E. Lord
1. Re:Am I the only one that wonders.... by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 02:16 · Score: 1
  
  Gotta watch out for those Tim Lords, with their advanced technology...
Who is this Tim Lord ? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 02:34 · Score: 0

I've been involved in the auto industry for 38 years and I do not recall
hearing his name.
I suggest he might not be the most knowledgeable reviewer, and I am trying to
be polite.
1. Re:Who is this Tim Lord ? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 03:16 · Score: 0
  
  So you've learned the name of every single person in the car industry? Assuming that you didn't start work until 16 we can deduce from this that you are at least a 54 year old virgin.
2. Re:Who is this Tim Lord ? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 15:42 · Score: 0
  
  I don't know either, but I'm sure not going to watch a video of some guy looking at things......
I don't get the Smart Cars by pavon · 2012-01-24 02:54 · Score: 2

I looked into these when buying a car several years ago, and was underwhelmed by both their price and their fuel efficiency. Looking at their specs again, they have gotten a little more competitive, but when you can get a much more versatile economy car such as a Toyota Yaris or a Hyundai Accent for similar price and gas mileage why would anyone I want to buy a Smart car?
1. Re:I don't get the Smart Cars by Bardwick · 2012-01-24 03:08 · Score: 2
  
  Was curious about this myself. My Corolla get's 34mpg highway which is 99% of my driving. There is no incentive be it green or financial to own a hybrid/electric. For me though, a car is a car is a car. I do not use it as a status symbol. Folks that do use thier cars as a status symbol may see it different.
2. Re:I don't get the Smart Cars by Asic+Eng · 2012-01-24 03:22 · Score: 1
  
  I really wish they'd bring back the Smart Roadster. Maybe even as an electric car. That thing should be really fun to drive. Of course by now I need three seats in the car at least, so even if they would restart production it wouldn't make sense for me anymore.
  As for why anyone would buy the standard models: they are meant to be city cars and really easy to park. The low mileage is a US "feature" - the US version has a more performance-oriented transmission etc, so the mileage comes out pretty low. The EU version seems to have quite good mileage.
  So, I agree - I can't imagine anyone buying the Smart as a performance car. (Well, unless it's the Roadster.) And with low mileage it's not an economy car either - so who is it meant to appeal to?
3. Re:I don't get the Smart Cars by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 03:25 · Score: 0
  
  Parking slots in some (most?) cities across Europe are a problem. The US really doesn't have much of a problem compared, so I guess status symbol comes more into play there.
4. Re:I don't get the Smart Cars by tipo159 · 2012-01-24 05:38 · Score: 2
  
  We have owned a smart since the current 451 model was introduced to the US (2008).
  We have been getting 37-38 mpg driving in city conditions. And I am a "spirited" driver that steps on the accelerator too quickly. I haven't checked the highway fuel economy.
  Why buy a smart fortwo? The city fuel economy is pretty good (it has had the best EPA fuel economy numbers for a gasoline (non-hybrid) car). It is small and easy to park. It is fun. It has a short wheelbase and RWD and is light (though its strong safety structure makes it heavier than its size might lead people to think it is). It is particularly fun in the snow (on winter tires) where you can stay just ahead of the traction control nannies.
  It is not for everyone. If you have a long, daily, highway commute, you probably want something more comfortable with cruise control. I have had no problems with occasional long drives, but I also drive the car hard in the snow and on gravel roads, things that the designers of the car probably didn't intend. Then again, SUVs are not for me, but plenty of people (still) buy them.
  Timothy Lord should learn something about cars before doing car videos. Yes, there were cars back in the 80s that got better fuel economy than the cars with the best fuel economy now. Back in the 90s, fuel got comparatively cheap and it was decided that safety was more important, so cars got heavier.
5. Re:I don't get the Smart Cars by Anonymous Coward · 2012-01-24 06:44 · Score: 0
  
  For me, the vast majority of my driving is city. I could easily use an electric scooter if the roads were safer. The rare times I would need more would be monthly grocery shopping or the occasional large purchase.
6. Re:I don't get the Smart Cars by 2DGamer · 2012-01-24 14:25 · Score: 1
  
  I own a smart and I found an unexpected advantage one day after 2 - 3 inch hail came thundering down when I was staying at a small apartment where I did not have a garage. The plastic body of the smart car took zero damage from the hail, and because I also have a Cabriolet, (the soft top convertible), the roof was spared as well. I did get a two dents, one on each side, on my side rails, but these are replaceable units (you take them off anyway if you want the full top down experience).
  These cars are fun to drive. They handle like a go-kart and are really nice when driving in a city (parking is possible where other cars can't even dream of getting into).
  My complaints? The gas tank is too small and the transmission takes a bit to get used to. You have to learn how hard to hit the gas at particular speeds to get the best acceleration (really when in 1st and 2nd gear), but over time this becomes second nature. You can always drive it as a manual if you like.
We already have cars that run on plain old WATER! by bridgey655 · 2012-01-24 03:05 · Score: -1

We already have cars that run on plain old WATER! in 2008! So why are we letting oil companies continually lie to us in order to keep up their profits at the expense of our health and the planet? See youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrxfMz2eDME
Seems to be it worked on phones by Shivetya · 2012-01-24 03:13 · Score: 1

because I have yet to see anything smart about pay nearly a hundred a month to use a cell phone that happens to connect to the net. So the word Smart in automotive brings to mind on their abysmal little car.
They will definitely need something other than Smart... because I doubt you can ever disassociate it from the existing car.
As for these battery only solutions, not going to work. Not until they can be charged without actually having to lift a finger, like pulling into a parking space and having a charge plate underneath the car rise up and do the work. Even then range extenders like the Volt and upcoming Fusion and Prius PHEV cars are the near term future.
We need another battery revolution to make battery only cars work, as in 1K range because then people won't have to be so careful. People love to claim 100 or even 200 is enough, but you really have to get it 300+ to get equivalent and 500+ when you look at highway miles (My Golf TDI does 540 between fill ups)

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* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
1. Re:Seems to be it worked on phones by BasilBrush · 2012-01-24 04:35 · Score: 1
  
  Not until they can be charged without actually having to lift a finger, like pulling into a parking space and having a charge plate underneath the car rise up and do the work.
  Depending on where you live, you probably have to do the work of filling a conventional car up with fuel.
Wait...wait, wait for it by ElitistWhiner · 2012-01-24 06:09 · Score: 1

Hydrogen
The only solution which provides single-point pollution control and zero pollution distributed
Fox #1 by p51d007 · 2012-01-24 06:39 · Score: 1

If Fox is so bad, why have they been #1 for so long? Oh, I get it...conservatives are stupid, how silly of me to forget what liberals think of conservatives.
1. Re:Fox #1 by phaggood · 2012-01-24 07:42 · Score: 1
  
  I don't have the data in front of me, but I'm sure the Kardashian's reality show probably had better ratings than 'Mythbusters'; tho I can't think of any argument that the former is the better show.