http://www.bakersfield.com/102/story/487709.html
Man 'smarts' over new fuel-efficient car
BY STACEY SHEPARD, Californian staff writer
Wednesday, Jul 2 2008 4:50 PM
The ladies grin. Others scramble to snap a picture with their cell phone. And a crew of oilfield workers once gave it the middle finger.
Those are the reactions Bakersfield resident Rick Masters frequently gets to his new smart fortwo, the European micro-car that made its American debut earlier this year. (The company has shunned capital letters in its name.)
“Gas stations are the worst,” said Masters, 58.“I can’t gas it up without having two or three people come up and ask me about it.”
The smart car is the newest piece of automotive eye-candy to hit the streets, and next to the monster trucks popular around Bakersfield, the 8-foot-long, two-seater is practically the size of a Tootsie Roll.
Mercedes-Benz, along with Swiss watchmaker Swatch, developed the model more than a decade ago and it’s being sold in the United States through a deal with racing mogul Robert Penske’s dealership group.
Already, the first year’s production of 20,000 has sold out in the United States; several have been spotted zipping around Bakersfield.
At 6-feet tall, Masters fits comfortably in the driver’s seat. (His German shepherd Mona even fits in the back). And averaging about 36 miles to the gallon — Masters says he can get 50 with the air conditioning off — the car gets him where he needs to go for a lot less.
“Think about it. If people go anywhere, even to buy a quart of milk, they drag 2,000 pounds of steel with them,” Masters said. “That’s stupid.”
But Masters doesn’t use the smart car for errands around town. For that, he uses his second vehicle, a sort of glorified, battery-powered golf cart, called a GEM, that goes 25 miles per hour and recharges from an electrical outlet.
Masters estimates it costs about 2 cents in electricity to make the 1.5-mile roundtrip to Longs Drugs in the GEM.
The smart car is reserved for longer trips.
He calls the two vehicles the perfect “urban complementary duo.”
“This is what anyone should have in their garage if they want to save money,” he said.
Masters bought his smart car from a dealership in Riverside and paid a little more than $13,000. He reserved it online last year and picked it up in February.
The closest smart car dealerships to Bakersfield are in the Los Angeles area and Santa Barbara.
The smart can easily do 90 miles per hour, Masters said, but he usually doesn’t go much above 70 because he’s still cautious of high speeds in a tiny vehicle. However, the smart car received good safety ratings because its chassis is essentially a steel cage and the interior contains front and side air bags.
Masters, a former truck driver, is a sort of high-mileage vehicle buff. He said his interest in electric, hydrogen and super-efficient vehicles evolved from an interest in hot-rods in the late-1960s and having lived through the 1970s energy crisis.
“I don’t want to get caught in the catastrophe,” he says, referring to mounting beliefs that oil prices will continue to climb, driving up the cost of everything from gasoline to food and creating hardships for those with long commutes or who live far from populated areas.
That concern has already driven up consumer demand for better fuel economy and smaller vehicles, according to auto industry analysts. Toyota’s Prius is considered the most “mainstream” green vehicle on the market and the smart car’s great American start shows promise. But some doubt the smart will remain popular in the American market.
Novelty has been the smart car’s biggest appeal, according to Aaron Bragman, an automotive research analyst with Global Insight, an international economic forecasting firm.
“It's almost being viewed as a toy. It's a second or third vehicle for people,” Bragman said. “From a personal finance standpoint, it almost doesn't make sense. What you get for your money and the performance it gives you, it’s really not that good.”
He points out the smart car sells for $12,000 to $18,000 but only seats two and has limited cargo space. By contrast, the Toyota Yaris and the Kia Rio sell at about the same price but can seat up to five, get almost the same gas mileage and have more cargo room.
The Yaris “is a real car and it’s much more useful for people in everyday situations,” Bragman said.
But smart car owners are a proud breed. Masters insists: “This is the most practical of all the small cars.”
CAR COMPARISONS
smart fortwo (2008 coupe)
The smart car has been sold worldwide for decades but made its American debut this year and sold out the first year of production.
Orders for 2009 models can be reserved online for $99. Diesel engine and hybrid models are available in other countries but there’s been no formal announcement as to when they will be available in the United States.
Costs: from $11,590
MPG: 36 combined (33 city/41 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $2.99
Toyota Prius (2008)
The most popular green vehicle on the market. More than 30,000 were sold in 2007, putting the popularity of this hybrid on par with mainstream sedans.
Costs: from $21,500
MPG: 46 combined (48 city/45 highway)
Cost to drive 25 miles: $2.22
Toyota Yaris (2008)
Cost: from $11,550
MPG: 31 combined (29 city/35 highway)
Cost to drive 25 miles: $3.29
Kia Rio (2008)
Costs: from $10,890
MPG: 29 combined (25 city/35 highway)
Cost to drive 25 miles: $3.52
GEM (Global Electric Motorcars)
The vehicles come in six models ranging from two- to six-seaters. The batteries charge by connecting the GEM to a 110-volt outlet. A full recharge takes six to eight hours.
Costs: from $6,795
Top speed: 25 miles per hour
Range: Up to 30 miles on a charge
Cost to drive 25 miles: not available
Tesla
The Silicon Valley start-up has developed a battery-electric, two-seat sports car.
Costs: from $109,000
Range: 250 miles
Sales: 600 sold orders, four made
Cost to drive 25 miles: not available
Sources: Fueleconomy.gov; Edmunds.com; Gemcar.com; Global Insight
Man 'smarts' over new fuel-efficient car
BY STACEY SHEPARD, Californian staff writer
Wednesday, Jul 2 2008 4:50 PM
The ladies grin. Others scramble to snap a picture with their cell phone. And a crew of oilfield workers once gave it the middle finger.
Those are the reactions Bakersfield resident Rick Masters frequently gets to his new smart fortwo, the European micro-car that made its American debut earlier this year. (The company has shunned capital letters in its name.)
“Gas stations are the worst,” said Masters, 58.“I can’t gas it up without having two or three people come up and ask me about it.”
The smart car is the newest piece of automotive eye-candy to hit the streets, and next to the monster trucks popular around Bakersfield, the 8-foot-long, two-seater is practically the size of a Tootsie Roll.
Mercedes-Benz, along with Swiss watchmaker Swatch, developed the model more than a decade ago and it’s being sold in the United States through a deal with racing mogul Robert Penske’s dealership group.
Already, the first year’s production of 20,000 has sold out in the United States; several have been spotted zipping around Bakersfield.
At 6-feet tall, Masters fits comfortably in the driver’s seat. (His German shepherd Mona even fits in the back). And averaging about 36 miles to the gallon — Masters says he can get 50 with the air conditioning off — the car gets him where he needs to go for a lot less.
“Think about it. If people go anywhere, even to buy a quart of milk, they drag 2,000 pounds of steel with them,” Masters said. “That’s stupid.”
But Masters doesn’t use the smart car for errands around town. For that, he uses his second vehicle, a sort of glorified, battery-powered golf cart, called a GEM, that goes 25 miles per hour and recharges from an electrical outlet.
Masters estimates it costs about 2 cents in electricity to make the 1.5-mile roundtrip to Longs Drugs in the GEM.
The smart car is reserved for longer trips.
He calls the two vehicles the perfect “urban complementary duo.”
“This is what anyone should have in their garage if they want to save money,” he said.
Masters bought his smart car from a dealership in Riverside and paid a little more than $13,000. He reserved it online last year and picked it up in February.
The closest smart car dealerships to Bakersfield are in the Los Angeles area and Santa Barbara.
The smart can easily do 90 miles per hour, Masters said, but he usually doesn’t go much above 70 because he’s still cautious of high speeds in a tiny vehicle. However, the smart car received good safety ratings because its chassis is essentially a steel cage and the interior contains front and side air bags.
Masters, a former truck driver, is a sort of high-mileage vehicle buff. He said his interest in electric, hydrogen and super-efficient vehicles evolved from an interest in hot-rods in the late-1960s and having lived through the 1970s energy crisis.
“I don’t want to get caught in the catastrophe,” he says, referring to mounting beliefs that oil prices will continue to climb, driving up the cost of everything from gasoline to food and creating hardships for those with long commutes or who live far from populated areas.
That concern has already driven up consumer demand for better fuel economy and smaller vehicles, according to auto industry analysts. Toyota’s Prius is considered the most “mainstream” green vehicle on the market and the smart car’s great American start shows promise. But some doubt the smart will remain popular in the American market.
Novelty has been the smart car’s biggest appeal, according to Aaron Bragman, an automotive research analyst with Global Insight, an international economic forecasting firm.
“It's almost being viewed as a toy. It's a second or third vehicle for people,” Bragman said. “From a personal finance standpoint, it almost doesn't make sense. What you get for your money and the performance it gives you, it’s really not that good.”
He points out the smart car sells for $12,000 to $18,000 but only seats two and has limited cargo space. By contrast, the Toyota Yaris and the Kia Rio sell at about the same price but can seat up to five, get almost the same gas mileage and have more cargo room.
The Yaris “is a real car and it’s much more useful for people in everyday situations,” Bragman said.
But smart car owners are a proud breed. Masters insists: “This is the most practical of all the small cars.”
CAR COMPARISONS
smart fortwo (2008 coupe)
The smart car has been sold worldwide for decades but made its American debut this year and sold out the first year of production.
Orders for 2009 models can be reserved online for $99. Diesel engine and hybrid models are available in other countries but there’s been no formal announcement as to when they will be available in the United States.
Costs: from $11,590
MPG: 36 combined (33 city/41 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $2.99
Toyota Prius (2008)
The most popular green vehicle on the market. More than 30,000 were sold in 2007, putting the popularity of this hybrid on par with mainstream sedans.
Costs: from $21,500
MPG: 46 combined (48 city/45 highway)
Cost to drive 25 miles: $2.22
Toyota Yaris (2008)
Cost: from $11,550
MPG: 31 combined (29 city/35 highway)
Cost to drive 25 miles: $3.29
Kia Rio (2008)
Costs: from $10,890
MPG: 29 combined (25 city/35 highway)
Cost to drive 25 miles: $3.52
GEM (Global Electric Motorcars)
The vehicles come in six models ranging from two- to six-seaters. The batteries charge by connecting the GEM to a 110-volt outlet. A full recharge takes six to eight hours.
Costs: from $6,795
Top speed: 25 miles per hour
Range: Up to 30 miles on a charge
Cost to drive 25 miles: not available
Tesla
The Silicon Valley start-up has developed a battery-electric, two-seat sports car.
Costs: from $109,000
Range: 250 miles
Sales: 600 sold orders, four made
Cost to drive 25 miles: not available
Sources: Fueleconomy.gov; Edmunds.com; Gemcar.com; Global Insight
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by jackb on -
Hi Rick,
I was not familiar with GEM prior to reading your posting. Do you know the anticipated battery life (how many charges, etc)?
BTW, thanks for your earlier postings on constant throttle technique. It's some of the most useful material to appear on this site.
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I use the gell cell package from Global Electric.
http://www.gemcar.com/accessories/details.asp?AID=24
In my opinion, people who use lead acid batteries are nuts. Almost every instance of "short-range syndrome" that I've run into have been due to one dead cell in just one battery. This limits the charging plateau of the entire bank. You've got to be a rigorous fanatic to use lead acids. You've got to check the water level all the time, and even if they work okay for the first year you'll eventually have a build-up of lead that's sloughed off starting to short out the bottom of some cells. And people don't know how to diagnose it. They go out and replace all the batteries!
You're way ahead to buy a set of install and forget gel-cells. They'll last for years. I'm on the third year in my G.E.M. and I can't tell that they've dropped off at all. Of course, I've never let them fall below 60% charge, which is good for about 20 miles, and is the key to making any battery bank last. Never deplete it below 50%. It will never come back. Park and plug. Always keep them charged to the max. You'll get years and years out of them. The only maintenance is keeping the connections clean. (That's another nice thing about gel cells, you don't need to periodically overcharge them to keep the plates clean like you do with lead acids.)
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nice article!
someone needs to do a "smack down" on this bragman idiot!
cute second or third car? this has been my primary car for the last 5 months!
i noticed in the pic you tossed the hubcaps, is that part of "hypermiling"?
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"i noticed in the pic you tossed the hubcaps, is that part of "hypermiling"?"
No. I doubt there is any practical difference outside a slight weight savings. I'm looking around town for some moons. I have some SS 15s for Ford rims but they don't quite fit the Smart. I also want to put LRR Contis, same as the front, on the rear and fabricate some nice vinyl rear wheel well covers.
I agree the Smart makess a wonderful primary car. My non-primary cars are a a 2001 Volvo turbocharged wagon and a non-op dually Dodge that I seldom use. Maybe Bragman's got a family. A Smart cannot be a suitable primary vehicle for a family. That aside, Bragman misses the mark on his endorsement of 4-5 pasenger cars over the Smart. Many of us don't have a need for those extra seats. And these guys continually use the inaccurate EPA estimates for mileage. It would make more sense to compare the Smart to other 2-seaters.
And it is the ultimate mileage champ. No one seems to be aware of this. I just got back from a round trip to Phoenix. 1000 miles with the A/C blasting all the way across the Sanora desert. 43 mpg. I don't think a Prius could do that.R
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moons would be nice on a pure. i've been at other sites where whitney 15's won't fit a pure, something with the valve stem fit.
when you're "hyper-miling" brake temp takes a back seat, moons cover the front discs. after 9 years my fronts discs were rusted and glazed on my metro at 37,000 miles. my metro's discs were glazed so no brake dust.
my smart has noticable brake dust on the front wheel covers after 4000 miles (i rode the brake pedal half the time for those 4000 miles, no wonder!)
if you find moons that fit the smart, let me know!
thanks!
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Brake dust? Brakes make dust?
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whatever, fronts have disc brakes, rears have drums. my front wheel covers are dirty as hell, the rears are still like new. do the math.
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Permalink Reply by Gary on -
Actually brakes do have a MINOR amount of dust, but that isn't what you see on your front rims. There is a ductwork underneath that takes air thru the front wheels for cooling. It's 95% road grime that gets picked up in the process. There are some roads that have more than others. If all of your travel was on nice smooth freshly paved roads that were scrubbed clean by rain etc, you might see a very light dusting of 'brake dust', but the vast majority is road grime ducted in with the cooling air.
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I figure brake dust costs money so I don't use it. I got back from my 1000 mile trip to Phoenix and didn't need to wash the wheels for the reporters. If I can snick into neutral and coast to a stop exactly where I wanted, that was a perfect brake application. If I have to stay in gear to slow down faster, that's not quite as good but it's okay. But if I have to use that little pedal on the left, I always ask myself, "Do I really need to do this?" because I paid for my kenitic energy. It's just like cash. That little Smart will glide forever almost with 44 psi in the tires and I hate to turn that cash into heat. I mean, what's the difference between burning dollar bills and using your brakes? One, you get ashes. The other, you get brake dust.
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2 Seat Cab #s
Better then a combined 25
Smart Fortwo 2008
Costs: from $16,590
MPG: 36.2 combined (33 city/41 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $3.01
Annual Cost $1806
Carbon footprint 5.1
Annual Petroleum Consumption 9.5 barrels/year
Mini Cooper 2008
Costs: from $18,050
MPG: 26 combined (23 city/32 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $4.16
Annual Cost $2501
Carbon footprint 7.1
Annual Petroleum Consumption 13.2 barrels/year
Audi TT Roadster 2008
Costs: from $36,800
MPG: 25 combined (22 city/29 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $4.33
Annual Cost $2598
Carbon footprint 7.3
Annual Petroleum Consumption 13.7 barrels/year
The rest of the 2 seat class:
Saturn Sky 2008
Costs: from $25,855
MPG: 21 combined (19 city/24 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $5.15
Annual Cost $3092
Carbon footprint 8.7
Annual Petroleum Consumption 16.3 barrels/year
Pontiac Solstice 2008
Costs: from $22,455
MPG: 21 combined (19 city/24 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $5.15
Annual Cost $3092
Carbon footprint 8.7
Annual Petroleum Consumption 16.3 barrels/year
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Costs: from $20,635
MPG: 24 combined (21 city/28 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $4.51
Annual Cost $2708
Carbon footprint 7.7
Annual Petroleum Consumption 14.3 barrels/year
Mercedes-Benz SLK 2008
Costs: from $44,150
MPG: 19 combined (16 city/23 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $5.70
Annual Cost $3416
Carbon footprint 9.6
Annual Petroleum Consumption 18 barrels/year
Chrysler Crossfire Roadster 2008
Costs: from $34,735
MPG: 18 combined (15 city/23 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $6.01
Annual Cost $3611
Carbon footprint 10.2
Annual Petroleum Consumption 19 barrels/year
Aston Marin V8 Vantage 2008
Costs: from $113,400
MPG: 15 combined (12 city/19 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $7.22
Annual Cost $4332
Carbon footprint 12.2
Annual Petroleum Consumption 22.8 barrels/year
Ferrari F430 2007
Costs: from $173,079
MPG: 13 combined (11 city/16 highway)
Cost to drive 25 Miles: $8.33
Annual Cost $4995
Carbon footprint 14.1
Annual Petroleum Consumption 26.3 barrels/year
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Lookie here, we made the front page!
And this really cracked me up. The cameraman used a wide angle lense to make the Fortwo look like a milk crate!
They also made a Flash video that you can find here. (It may not stay up for long.)
http://www.bakersfield.com/multimedia
The bird is actually my drafting gauge cleverly disguised as a cute bird. When you run at highway speed, the wings fold straight up and remain as still as a Peterbuilt hood ornament. But when someone ahead is cutting the air for you, the wings start flapping and drop down just the way it looks like in this opening clip. You can actually see the difference between the aerodynamic drag you can save by following an SUV or a big truck. It also shows the "sweet spot" when you are in the vacuum pocket, where you get your best mileage. No more guessing.
Here's another video some people put together that has my feelings about wind power and hydrogen fuel.
http://www.hydrogencommerce.com/Movies/Beezhan/hydrogen.wmv
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cool video, love the "drafting gage". is that something you made or can it be bought somewhere? if i had a closed track, i could get 500 miles out of a tank of gas.
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