The Wall Street Journal is running a story today (free link) about one of the challenges of bringing the Smart Car to the U.S.:
The ForTwo is seen widely in Europe, but the tiny size raises safety concerns on this side of the Atlantic because of the size of typical American vehicles — like 16.8-foot-long Chevrolet Tahoe, the country’s top-selling full-size SUV.[...] “People traveling in small, light cars are at a disadvantage, especially when they collide with bigger, heavier vehicles,” said Adrian Lund, the [president of the Institute for Highway Safety].[...]
Smart will emphasize the Tridion safety cell made of reinforced steel that is the frame for the car. A skeleton of the vehicle showing off the safety cell and the four air bags will be on display during the roadshow. And a video showing a Mercedes E-Class sedan crashing into a Smart will be played for customers. The video shows that while the front end of the Smart is crumpled, the interior remains undamaged with passengers protected by the steel frame.
With fuel prices being what they are, there are days where I wish that a fairly cheap, fuel-efficient car suitable for commuting were available in the U.S. market. While I’m fortunate enough to telecommute frequently, currently my wife and I have only one vehicle (she doesn’t drive) — a Jeep Cherokee, which is good to have to haul around my wife’s walker, when I’m shopping at Home Depot or Lowes, or in the winter (when we actually have a winter).
Sadly, Cherokees aren’t the most fuel-efficient vehicles around….and so far, I haven’t been able to justify the cost of becoming a two-vehicle, one-driver household in order to support getting a second, “commuter” car.
However, I’ll be looking forward to seeing the pricing of the Smart Car, the fuel economy…and whether I have the courage to drive it in a part of the world where minivans and Hummers are not uncommon.