$50K Smart Electric Vehicle set for Limited Production Run - powered by Tesla

Tesla Motors is going to be supplying Mercedes-Benz with 1,000 EV battery packs and chargers. The power packs are to be installed in Smart Electric cars as part of a partnership between the electric car maker and the German luxury brand.

These Smart cars should cost US$49,900 when they go on sale this year according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk who confirmed the existence of this business relationship between his company and Daimler AG. Tesla had been struggling to meet its financial obligations until late 2008 when it announced it had received business financing to the tune of $40 million from investors. The Smart car order should help its balance sheet pick up even more.

Source: jalopnik

smart fortwo EV production by 2010 - US market considered

Even small car manufacturer Smart is jumping on the electric bandwagon. Their highly-efficient, and really tiny, Smart ForTwo, which gets 36 mpg as a petrol, will be made into an EV.

This is not some far off dream, either. Smart plans to bring the electric ForTwo into showrooms within a year, with customer delivery of a limited edition taking place after June 2010. The vehicles are already being tested in London.

Full production of a lithium-ion powered Smart car will take place beginning in 2010. It is likely that the company will continue to produce these vehicles at their manufacturing facilities in France. Range of the vehicle is not yet available.

Daimler, the parent company of Smart, has also bought large stakes in companies that produce batteries and electric charging systems. Through these ventures, they will work with governments throughout Germany and Italy. Rome, Milan, Pisa, and Berlin will all get test runs of the electric Smart ForTwo, as well as the beginnings of an infrastructure to allow faster charging of the vehicles.

Despite the sour economy, sales of the Smart ForTwo increased from November to December 2008. They sold 25,000 in the States over the course of the year.

Source: freep.com