{"id":119059,"date":"2017-09-12T00:36:25","date_gmt":"2017-09-12T04:36:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=119059"},"modified":"2017-09-12T00:36:25","modified_gmt":"2017-09-12T04:36:25","slug":"smart-vision-eq-concept-foresees-future-as-an-all-electric-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2017\/09\/smart-vision-eq-concept-foresees-future-as-an-all-electric-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"Smart Vision EQ Concept Foresees Future as an All-Electric Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Mercedes chief Dieter Zetsche introduces the Smart Vision EQ Fortwo Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With its butterfly doors, a complete lack of steering wheel and other controls, and a lithium-ion battery pack tucked neatly below the floor, the Smart Vision EQ Fortwo Concept that made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show Monday night is designed to give us a glimpse of the future. But that may not be nearly as far off as it might seem.<\/p>\n

By most forecasts, we\u2019re likely to see the first real autonomous vehicles start rolling into showrooms by 2020, and several automakers are promising to build their first completely driverless models before mid-decade.<\/p>\n

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Auto Show News!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As for Smart, \u201cby the end of this decade,\u201d declared Dieter Zetsche, CEO of the Smart brand\u2019s parent, Daimler AG, \u201cwe will switch the Smart brand in Europe and the U.S. to completely electric drive, and the rest of the world will follow.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, Smart has already laid out plans to drop the gas-powered version of its little Fortwo model in the U.S. this coming year, so the Frankfurt announcement was not entirely unexpected. And it comes as part of a broader move by Daimler, Zetsche announced Monday night, that will see the German maker offer at least one form of electrified drivetrain \u2013 whether hybrid, plug-in or pure battery-electric \u2013 \u201cfor our entire line-up\u2026by 2022.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Mercedes Concept EQ A teases long-range compact EV. For the story, <\/em>Click Here<\/a><\/span>.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Smart line-up will be converted completely to electric-only models in the next few years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Seeing the Smart brand take a lead role for Daimler is no surprise considering the market it targets. While there are a handful of suburban eccentrics who can be found hustling off to the mall in one of the two-seaters, Smart products primarily target those who live in dense urban environments. And that could put a production version of the Vision EQ Fortwo Concept at the center of the dramatic changes many expect to transfer the world of transportation over the coming decade.<\/p>\n

“The Smart Vision EQ Fortwo is our vision of future urban mobility; it is the most radical car sharing concept car of all: fully autonomous, with maximum communication capabilities, friendly, comprehensively personalizable and, of course, electric,” said Smart CEO Annette Winkler. “With the smart vision EQ fortwo, we are giving a face to the themes with which Mercedes-Benz Cars describes the vision of future mobility within the CASE strategy.”<\/p>\n

\u201cCASE\u201d is Daimler\u2019s shorthand for:<\/p>\n