I just got back from Canada and there where allot of smart cars running around the city. These little diesel motorcars have a very small footprint, (over all size) they even have there own parking in some spots of the city. I didn’t have time to go the dealership. But I did talk with some of the locals many of them like the smart car but would never want to get into an accident with one. I saw many businessmen using them as run around town cars for making small trip inner city. Hope this type of car and technology can make it to America.

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(I live in Montreal) My mother has one, I've driven it a few time, its a great little car, surprisingly spacious (i'm 6' i fit no problem).

Attachment 232As long as people keep buying large SUVs and driving with the "I'm bigger than you therefore get the hell out of my way or I'll punt you" attitude it'll never happen. If the cars DO catch on here, the freeways will look like this...

There is a fairly easy way to get gas hogs off the road if we have the will to do it. Put an additional $1/gallon gas tax. Use it to clean the air, improve roads, or since it is currently a hot topic fix bridges. Most of us cannot afford an additional $1/ gallon so we will switch to something that gets better mileage or off gas entirely. Those that can afford it will be paying for the repairs. You would have to have a tax exemption for those vehicles that have to use ICE (semis) but there is a precedence for this already(farm fuel is road tax free). If we would do this our mileage standards could easily catch up with Europe's (I think that we are 15mpg behind now).

Getting off gas entilry is a little difficult when nobody makes an electric car! (besides sports cars) let alone advertises to the masses...

It is a chicken or the egg type problem. No one will build it until they know someone will buy it and no one can buy it until they build it. We know from the EV1 that such a vehicle can be made. We also know that people like them (look at the reaction of those that had EV1s).

Those little "Smart" cars are all over the place here in western WA. Just saw one today on my way home, in Poulsbo. I even saw one flying (literally) down I90 east of the Cascades a few months back. I was doing about 85-90, just cruising in my Galaxie, and this thing went by at least doing 110.
If I had one, it would be a Diablo in short order.
But I'd have to be given one, I wouldn't pay money for that thing.

In the US we can't get the 71 mpg diesel version....
http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=3871

Only the 33/41 mpg of the gas burner.
http://smartusa.com/smart-car-faq.aspx

I've driven both and the diesel is the only one I'd buy.

Smart car???????? in the 90's the gas powered honda civics got 45mpg! If you wre trying to get great gas milage wouldnt you reduce drag? The roof line is way to tall!!! Vw has a golf diesel that is roomier and gets better gas milage.

Why does someone always come up with the old "Tax em out" idea? The govt is receiving a larger windfall from high oil prices than the oil companies now. See them spending any significant amounts for electric or diesel vehicle development ? Until we vote for responsible representatives, who have real plans to improve our situations, we are going to have "business as usual", meaning politicians who depend on Lobby groups for their financial support. Guess who the Lobbyists represent?