DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: smart for-us
Pickups get the smarts with diminutive for-us, featuring production-ready 'ebikes' with 100km rangeThose who remember the Suzuki Mighty Boy ute will probably find something nostalgic in smart's latest concept car, the 'for-us' pick-up.
Not unlike the diminutive three-cylinder Suzuki from the 1980s, the for-us is ridiculously small but - definitely unlike the Suzuki - is not taken all that seriously by its makers.
Revealed at the North American International Auto Show, the postage stamp-size two-seat ute drives the rear wheels via a 55kW electric motor (the Mighty Boy's half-litre engine developed 21kW) giving a top speed of around 120km/h. On a regular household power socket, charging time for the 17.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack is quoted at eight hours.
The smart for-us concept is fitted out to carry two smart ebikes in a cargo area accessed by an electrically-opened tailgate and a sliding rear floor. The company says the two bikes can be seen as range-extenders because they dock onto power supplies in the cargo area that keep them charged while the vehicle is being driven.
Proud of the potential of the for-us, smart says it could easily be adapted to four-wheel drive by the addition of two more motors powering the front wheels.
Ute toughness is enhanced by a ride height increase of 50mm, while wheelbase and tracks are greater than regular smarts. Further helping any off-road connotations, overhangs at front and rear are reduced, and the Michelin off-road tyres measure a meaty 235/55R18.
Funky features include as smartphone-actuated rearview mirror and an integrated rearview camera.
Commenting on the smart for-us, CEO, Dr. Annette Winkler, says "We at smart love pick-ups - if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!"
As a gesture to regular bicycle users, the ebikes incorporate a USB interface enabling "various mobile devices" to be connected. The range is quoted at "more than 100 kilometres."
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