Almost all global industries are changing for the better. There are many issues that have to be faced and resolved to make simple and conventional lives easier. Thus, as the car industry gears up for the future, there is a new breed of car that is gaining a significant interest among car users. Smart cars are starting to gain attraction and recognition. Germany is ahead of the game as a German car producer, Micro Compact Car GmbH or Smart GmbH leads the race to the development of full-pledged smart cars.
As a company, smart car (note that the first letter, ‘s’, is always written as a small letter as consistently used by the company) is a car making stand alone unit formed to exclusively develop a prototype of a futuristic car. The name ‘smart' is actually an acronym for the joint venture name Swatch Merceded ART. Swatch is a Swiss manufacturer of watch and other time-keeping devices. The company originally conceived the idea of designing and producing a futuristic car that would symbolise how Swatch is being innovative to keep up with the times.
Swatch originally sought a partnership with German carmaker Volkswagen for the development of the smart car. But unfortunately, the proposed partnership did not push through due to many significant reasons. Finally, Swatch found its partner in 1994 with Daimler-Benz as the contracted producer of the planned car brand. Thus, the cooperation between Swatch and Daimler gave way to the birth of the smart car.
Smart car was made into a total car builder in 2002, with the formation of the smart car or more popularly known as Smart GmbH or simply ‘smart car'. As a matter of fact, more people assert that the car model is an anticipated car type for the future. Because of its uniqueness, smart car was widely anticipated and initially received in the market.
There are many reasons why smart cars became an instant hit among car buyers even prior to the formal launch of the car brand. For one, smart cars are said to be fuel efficient. Developers claim that the car would require very minimal amount of gasoline, similar to the level, or much lower, of the modern hybrid cars produced by global car giants. The sleek design is also a big plus as well as the scale of the physical attributes. Thus, parking space would never be a problem. Measurements suggest that a parking space good for a single modern car brand could be used by three smart cars in one session. The external of a smart car is also highly fashionable and sporty.
However, smart car also failed to live up to expectations. There are several flaws identified with the car type. Many car aficionados were really disappointed about these cars. First, the car usually does not pass through standard emission regulations of different countries. The safety of the driver and its passenger is also found to be not designed to prevent injuries and personal damages. The crumple zone in the forward portion is so small that even a small car accident would be treated profusely. Eventually, the sluggish sales pushed the company on the brink of financial distress. Daimler-Chrysler, on the other hand, is still keen on the earning power and potential using smart cars.
Original Authors: Manny
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 10/06/2008
