Smart ED shocks with success!

One may not associate luxury brand Mercedes-Benz' owner Daimler with small and functional urban vehicles, but the company's Smart brand has been gaining steady popularity in most European metropolis - from London to Luxembourg. After the success of smart fortwo urban ultra-compact car in both its cabrio and coupe version, the company has now begun to reap the returns of its entry into the electric vehicle space with its smart ED.

The smart ED (yes, the Germans like to spell their smart with a lower case 's') was the best-selling electric car in Europe in 2008, and continues to lead the 2009 electric car sales charts. Apart from offering the usual conscientious environmental benefits of zero-emissions, the car's USP remains the backing of the Daimler brand. For good reason at that, since the smart ED is not a bare-basic car with four wheels and electric motors, it comes with goodies and gadgets like ESP, ABS and airbags. It is also one of the few cars of its dimensions to hold a high NCAP Safety rating.

Another contributor to the smart ED's success is the encouraging set of policies that European governments have established for compact electric cars. In London, for instance, the smart ED is exempt from Congestion Charging, and can also be brought into the country for zero Vehicle Excise Duty.

From the Indian angle, Tata Motors' Indica Vista EV was recently unveiled to the world at the Geneva Motor Show, and is expected to bring its own set of low-cost benefits to European cosnumers. Dimensions-wise however, the euro-spec Tata Nano Europa is a much straighter competitor to the smart and has Daimler's brand covered with very competitive pricing. An electric version would only help it further, in our opinion. Bring on the small electrifiers!