smart USA Demonstrates Hybrid Alternative

smart USA said it has more than 30,000 prospective buyers waiting to purchase smart fortwovehicles, which it demonstrated recently at Consumer Reports' recent "Futureof the Car" event here in East Haddam, CT.

The1,600-lb fortwo, said to achieve an average fuel efficiency of 41 mpg, wastransported to the event as a way of showing off a gasoline-burning solutionfor the future. The event, attended mostly by the press and industryorganizations, provided a peek at various energy alternatives, including hydrogenfuel cells, plug-in hybrids, pure electric cars and gasoline-burning vehicles.

"It'salmost like going back to the turn of the century, when they had steam powerand electric power and gasoline was just in its infancy," said David Champion,senior director of the Consumers Union Auto Test Center. "Now it's a slightlydifferent situation. It's more environmental. We know we're going to run out ofpetroleum products at some point in time."

smart USA says it has a solution to the auto industry's coming energy problems. Using aone-liter, three-cylinder, gasoline-burning engine that produces peak power of70 HP, the company says it can help to dramatically reduce conventional fuelconsumption. smart's 2009 model has been ranked as the most fuel efficientnon-hybrid vehicle in the United States by the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency's 2009 Fuel EconomyGuide, and has been classified as an ultra-low emission vehicle by the California Air Resources Board.

At Consumer Reports' event, a smart USA spokesman said orders for the vehicleare outpacing availability in the U.S. "We have over 30,000 people who arestill on a waiting list to purchase a smart fortwo," said Ken Kettenbeil,director of communications for the company. Kettenbeil said the firstfortwo sale in the U.S.occurred in January and that approximately 20,000 vehicles have been sold sincethen.

The companyexpects the fortwo to compete with the future crop of high-mileage hybrids."The smart fortwo demonstrates there are options, other than hybrids, whenseeking excellent fuel economy at a time when fuel prices have been at ahistoric high," said Dave Schembri, smart USA president, in a company-issuedpress release.