Smiths ElectricVehicles
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:26 am
I love that the Brits are ahead in the goods-vehicle EV industry, what with Smiths and Modec, and I hope they trounce the competition (if any) in the US. However I've been wondering about their white man van EV that uses a Ford Transit body. Do we think Ford may have done a deal with Smiths to provide Smiths with a recognisable vehicle body to sell as an EV (ie the Ford Transit van), but only after signing a deal to NOT build any electric passenger CARS that might threaten their motor sales on 'Treasure Island' Britain. I think they've bribed Smiths to ensure people dont stop buying the Ka and Fiesta and switch to a Smiths Electric passenger car instead.
Their 3.5 tonne capacity van has both speed and range - if they made a large electric car of a similar scale to the Transit would it not also potentially threaten their saloon car/people carrier market, even if the sticker price was £5k higher or so? Many would need a long distance 5 seater but many others wouldnt need it more than a few of times a year and for that level of need a hire car is far more cost effective. I drive a Mondeo, but would happily own one short range electric vehicle for my daily 20 miles, and would be content to hire/borrow a petrol/long-range car for my half dozen long-distance trips a year, or take a train ride/plane trip and hire a car when I get there like when I go on holiday, and if Im only travelling locally at my destination that could be an EV too
Im looking forward to being able to visit a UK sales office where they will have FOR SALE either a Smart EV, a Th!nk City EV (albeit with a leased battery) or a Mitsubishi MiEV, as these are the first vehicles I would realistically consider as 'proper' electric cars. Im also going to try and get to Brighton 2 weeks today so that I can actually touch an EV in the flesh as it were! Ive never seen ONE electric car face to face and I want to experience that moment of 'wow.. the legends were true!' lol!
Their 3.5 tonne capacity van has both speed and range - if they made a large electric car of a similar scale to the Transit would it not also potentially threaten their saloon car/people carrier market, even if the sticker price was £5k higher or so? Many would need a long distance 5 seater but many others wouldnt need it more than a few of times a year and for that level of need a hire car is far more cost effective. I drive a Mondeo, but would happily own one short range electric vehicle for my daily 20 miles, and would be content to hire/borrow a petrol/long-range car for my half dozen long-distance trips a year, or take a train ride/plane trip and hire a car when I get there like when I go on holiday, and if Im only travelling locally at my destination that could be an EV too
Im looking forward to being able to visit a UK sales office where they will have FOR SALE either a Smart EV, a Th!nk City EV (albeit with a leased battery) or a Mitsubishi MiEV, as these are the first vehicles I would realistically consider as 'proper' electric cars. Im also going to try and get to Brighton 2 weeks today so that I can actually touch an EV in the flesh as it were! Ive never seen ONE electric car face to face and I want to experience that moment of 'wow.. the legends were true!' lol!