Smart USA to test Tesla-powered cars in Portland
Mini-car maker Smart USA said Tuesday it will test electric vehicles powered by a battery made by Tesla Motors Inc. in Portland and a handful of markets this fall.
Smart is owned by Daimler AG, which has a stake in Palo Alto-based Tesla. The cars will have a 16.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack made by Tesla.
In addition to Portland, the company said it plans to lease 250 electric cars to businesses, organizations and others in San Jose, Calif.; Indianapolis; Orlando, Fla.; and the Washington, D.C.-Boston corridor.
This follows a test that was started last year in Europe and will be rolled out in Asia next year when it plans to have a test fleet of 1,500 electric cars. Smart plans to sell electric cars to the general public the following year in 2012.
A four-year lease will cost $599 a month and the cars would have a projected range of 82 miles. Their maximum speed would be limited to 62.5 miles per hour.
From the Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the test fleet is similar to one conducted by rival BMW AG in the past year with Mini Coopers that were outfitted with electric motors. The 450-car Mini E fleet was meant to gather data ahead of the introduction of high-volume cars. Smart plans to start selling electric cars to the general public in 2012.
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