Say goodbye to the two-man Smart car.
Americans never really understand seats.
Daimler, the German auto giant, said it would stop selling the batteries.
After this year, two models were operated in the United States and Canada.
This decision is subject to "micro
Car market, "said Robert Moran, communications director at Mercedes.
Mercedes-Benz American also belongs to Daimler.
Moran also pointed out that such a low cost is high. volume model.
Given its limited scope, this decision is not surprising to many analysts --
It costs about 60 miles in full-
Consumer preference for suv is growing.
In addition, because of a generation of SUVs with low gasoline mileage, "small" today does not always mean "green ".
Jack Fisher, director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports, said smart cars "make sense when you have small roads and small places to park ".
"There is enough space in the United States to manipulate your heavy objects --
On the way to work, a light pickup truck makes no sense.
"Of course, the more spacious option does not have to be a pickup truck.
Honda CR-small suv
V and Toyota RAV4 have plenty of luggage and passenger space and some boost.
Think of them as a slightly higher station wagon off the ground, Fisher said.
The main selling point of this smart car is that it can fly in a short distance and travel through a narrow space.
Take Europe as an example, where the miniature model slides sideways into the parking spot or through narrow alleys.
At the same time, the road landscape in the United States was built to accommodate larger cars and trucks, and parking spaces were about the same size. (
Still, parking is not easy for everyone. See Exhibit A. )
In addition, the car ownership rate in the center of the largest city in the country (86 percent)
About 8 percentage points lower than the rest of the country (94 percent)
According to data from the United StatesS.
American Community Survey of census
About 30% of households live in the centers of these big cities.
Best-selling smart cars in China
Nearly 25,000 cars
When gasoline prices were high and revenue fell in 2008, Paul Waatti, product analysis manager at auto Paci, a car marketing research and consulting firm, said.
Ten years laterS.
Sales fell below 1,200.
"In the same period, SUVs have become smaller and more efficient," Waatti said . ".
He pointed out that Toyota now
The Scion brand, which has collapsed, has also suffered a similar fate.
Its "city car", called iQ, disappeared in the United States in just a few years.
In densely populated urban areas, Americans may also prefer Uber or Lyft before buying smart cars --
The top two start at about $24,000.
And bear these maintenance and insurance costs.
But for those who want to drive, Car2Go-
Operates in seven cities across the United States. S.
, Plus more global
May be an attractive choice.
The company's North American fleet consists of smart cars and other MercedesBenz vehicles.
A spokesman said Car2Go would not be affected by Daimler's announcement.
Daimler also announced plans to develop a new series of smart electric vehicles at a factory in China.
New cars are expected to start selling globally in 2022.
American love for SUVs corresponds to the trend of moving away from cars.
In November, GM said it would stop producing six models.
Move forward with pickup trucks, SUVs, electric and self-driving cars.
Ford also announced last year that it would stop selling almost all cars in the United States. S. market.
As far as Mercedes is concerned
Mercedes is building its own electric lineup in the United States. S.
Moran said Canada launched the new EQC in 2020.
Mercedes is using the car as the first car in a growing family --
Electric cars.
Unlike small smart cars, EQC is an SUV.
All of this means that you don't have to shrink your car in order to reduce your carbon footprint.
"The whole suv equals gasoline.
"The guzzler's equation is almost out of date," said Stephanie Brin, chief auto analyst at IHS Markit . ".
"It's not just giving up a Smart car and buying a Lake Tahoe.
There is a lot of space in the middle.
Christopher Ingraham contributed to the report.