the columns supporting thesmartclub’s website ISSUE 25 - Summer 2013
Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
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thesmartclub ltd … since 2000
www.thesmartclub.com
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‘4site’ : Issue 23
2012
4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
Welcome At last, summer is here and we welcome you to Issue 25 of ‘4site’ smart magazine - the world’s only regularly produced magazine for smart car owners and enthusiasts.
Al Young Editor, Chairman & Managing Director thesmartclub ltd thesmartclub ltd. 1 Corbiehill Park Edinburgh EH4 5EQ UK Tel: +44 (0) 8452 990332
Following our complete redesign of ‘4site’ smart magazine with Issue 24, we have received some superb feedback on the new layout and content and we appreciate any and all comments from our Readers – it’s a magazine for you and our growing distribution shows us that you like what you see! In this issue, we bring you a review of our 13th annual visit to smartville, Hambach, France and this was without doubt, our most successful visit yet. Of course, by the time you are reading this, it’s time for smarttimes in Lucerne, Switzerland and the planned programme of activities is included in this issue of ‘4site’. We’ve some great services and products available to you too with promotions from S2smarts, Al’s Autos, smart of Wolverhampton, smart of Edinburgh, J C Motorhomes, Daimler Insurances Services UK Ltd and 4smart & Merc.
In this quarter’s issue of ‘4site: Forthcoming Events smart times 2013 Lucerne
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Event Review Hambach & Smartville 2013
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Regular Local Meetings
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thesmartclub Shop
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You and your smart
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News from smart
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Two new Limited Edition models at smart of Wolverhampton
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smart ebike
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Dealership News smart centre Saarbrucken 19 Driving into a purple patch 20 England rugby star converted 20 by smart York youngsters show their 21 true colours Changing vrooms at 21 smart of Derby
Of course, ‘4site’ would not be the magazine it is without you and we are always keen to here about you and your smart. Remember, you don’t even need to type anything, simply pick up the phone and call us on +44(0)-845-299-0332 with your story and we’ll compile that and publish all relevant stories in the next available issue of ‘4site’ – it couldn’t be easier to have you and your car featured!
Owners cars Riding High
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Hello from Smartville
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Economical Driving
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And remember there’s the world of smart motorsport with the 4two cup and smart cup running throughout 2014 across Europe. If you have not been to a smart race event yet, get yourself along to a circuit and see what it’s all about. Results to date are included in ‘4site’ and you can find more information at The smart Racing Club web site (www.thesmartracingclub.com) or contact us for more information.
smart motorsport & the 4two cup
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Full details of all our phone, email and postal contact information are included in this issue of ‘4site’.
Inside Hambach 24
Advertisers Al’s Autos JCMotorhomes S2Smarts 4smart & Merc smart Insurance smart of Wolverhampton
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Al Young Chairman & Managing Director thesmartclub ltd
Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
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On page 6 in Issue 24 of ‘4site’ smart magazine, we brought you some advance information about smart times 2013 taking place in and around Lucerne, Switzerland. The main event itself takes place from Friday 23rd August through to Sunday 25th August inclusive but, as many regular smarttimes visitors will know, recent years have seen many ‘pre event’ attractions taking place and Lucerne 2013 is no different – in fact, it’s even better. So what’s happening when with some of the pre-event attractions? Wednesday 21st August • 08:30hrs – Start of line-up & check-in for pre-event “Rigi mountain excursion”
Thursday 22nd August • 08:30hrs - Start of line-up for pre-event “Verkehrshaus” traffic museum
• 09:30hrs - Pre-event “Rigi mountain excursion” - Around Lake Lucerne and then on to the Alpine village of Vitznau. The exciting route takes us along mountain passes and through numerous tunnels. We will then take the Rigi cogwheel railway up to Rigi Kulm – “The Queen of the Swiss Alps” and Switzerland’s most popular destination for a mountain excursion. In the rustic alpine cheese dairy Chäserenholz you can watch cheese and butter being made – naturally including a tasting session! Please understand that the tour of the alpine cheese dairy is only available in German.
• 09:30hrs - Pre-event “Verkehrshaus” traffic museum - Keep your camera at the ready for we’re off to Lucerne – a city with unique photo opportunities such as the world-famous Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke). The Verkehrshaus is our destination, Europe’s most diverse museum for traffic and communication offering fascinating insights into the world of mobility – from rail and road traffic to shipping and space travel. In the museum’s own film theatre we will watch a surprise film on Switzerland’s largest silver screen (original soundtrack: German; simultaneous translation: English, French, Italian). Afterwards, you can discover Switzerland’s most-visited museum for yourself. • 11:30hrs - Start of line-up for pre-event “chocolate factory” tour • 12:30hrs - Pre-event “chocolate factory” tour - We explore the city from its “chocolate side”. The guided tour starts at Max Chocolatier – the exclusive producer of finest Swiss chocolate made from premium natural organic ingredients. At the company’s own chocolate manufactory we see chocolate being made, and this is followed by an extensive tasting. After approximately an hour we move on to the charming old town of Lucerne, which the guides from Lucerne Tourism will bring to life with stories and background information. (Languages: German, English) • 12:30hrs - Start of line-up & check-in for pre-event “Guided tour of Lucerne” • 13:30hrs - Pre-event “Guided tour of Lucerne” + “Chocolate factory slot 2” - Lucerne – the lakeside city with its centuries-old, world-famous sights and a charming old town that invites you to linger. In a 2-hour tour with interesting background information and exciting stories the guides from Lucerne Tourism will show us their city. (Languages: German, English)
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4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
Saturday 24th August • 09:00hrs – Admission to smart times site • 10:00hrs – Line-up for the smart parade – Make sure that you arrive at the smart times event site in the morning to be sure of getting one of the places at the front of the smart times parade. Friday 23rd August • 09:00hrs - Start of line-up & check-in for pre-event “Tobogganing on Pilatus”
• 10:00hrs – Alphorn workshop – On Saturday up to 20 people will also have a chance to try out the typical Swiss musical instrument
• 10:00hrs – Pre- event “Tobogganing on Pilatus” - We will drive together to the municipality of Kriens that borders Lucerne. From there we will take the panoramic gondola lift up to Lucerne’s landmark mountain, the Pilatus. The spectacular descent down Switzerland’s longest summer toboggan run starts near Fräkmüntegg mountain station – we have booked one descent per participant for you.
• 13:30hrs – Start of the smart times parade - We want to break our own record with you with the world‘s longest smart parade. In 2013 the route will take us through the picturesque communities of Buochs, Beckenried, Emmetten and Seelisberg. And there’s plenty going on there: convoy celebrations in Emmetten, groups wearing traditional costumes and carrying flags in Seelisberg, music to suit every taste, and lots of spectators guaranteed. What‘s more, at the turning point you’ll receive a voting card to vote for the venue for smart times 14!
• 13:00hrs - Start of line-up & check-in for pre-event - “smart roadster birthday outing” • 14:00hrs - Pre-event “smart roadster birthday outing” - The smart roadster is celebrating its 10th birthday and we are celebrating too! The birthday outing will take us high up to the mountain village of Engelberg. There, a little birthday surprise awaits you as a smart roadster driver at the turning point. Afterwards you can either spend a relaxing afternoon in the charming alpine village, or from Engelberg you can explore Titlis mountain with its adventurous cliff walk and impressive glacier grotto. Those who want to return to the smart times site simply follow our follow-me vehicle after the turning point. And then, it’s into the main event itself! Friday 23rd August • 14:00hrs – Official start of smart times 2013 • 16:30hrs – Alphorn workshop - Originally conceived as a means of communication between the mountains, this year we are using the alphorn to celebrate THE event of the year. Try to sound the first tones yourself in a workshop for up to 20 persons. • 17:00hrs – Free BBQ - Just like last year we’ll be lighting up the (free) barbecue for you on Friday – smart drivers only! • 21:00hrs – Friday evening show - We’ll be officially opening the event on Friday evening with a show in the main tent – and we have plenty to celebrate: 15 years of the smart fortwo, 10 years of the smart roadster – and of course we’ll be welcoming the clubs and nations. • 22:00hrs – Party with live DJ - After the show partygoers can look forward to dancing into the early hours of the morning at the party with a live DJ.
Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
• 16:30hrs – Alphorn workshop – Slot 2 for the Alphorn workshop on Saturday • 18:00hrs – Traditional Swiss dinner - This evening’s meal is typically Swiss: We’ll be serving you “G´Hackets with Hörnli”. • 19:30hrs – smart times 2014 candidate speeches – In the evening the suspense will rise: where will smart times 2014 be held? Representatives of the candidate countries will do their best to persuade you. • 20:00hrs – smart times 2014 voting - Now it’s down to you: you decide where smart times 14 will take place. Place a cross for your favourite country on the voting card and put it in the ballot box. • 21:00hrs – Saturday evening show - The suspense is rising: after the award ceremony for the winners of the smart times contest, at around 10 p.m. during the Saturday evening show the venue for smart times 14 will be revealed. • 22:00hrs – Party with live DJ - On Saturday, too, a DJ will be spinning the turntables to turn night into day with you. Sunday 25th August • 09:00hrs – Admission to smart times site • 14:00hrs – Official end of smart times 2013 Please note that all timings are subject to alteration
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Event Review
Hambach & smartville 2013 Review As a result of shifting the date one month from May to June for our annual visit to the smart factory in Hambach France, there was a genuine sense of ‘something different; given the slightly better weather and ‘change’ to the more conventional Hambach visits of the past. Another ‘full house’ in terms of the bookings saw over 40 smart owners and enthusiasts gathering at Dover on the night before an early morning crossing to Calais. For those participants taking advantage of the overnight halt before departure, we were again all staying at the Premier Inn (Folkestone Road, Dover) where Road Books, Polo Shirts and Vehicle stickers were distributed prior to the (now traditional) meal and social banter through that event. Indeed, the catering and management team at the Plough Inn next door to the Premier Inn did a superb job with the table logistics and orders throughout the night. Great service, great food and superb company. Monday morning gave us all a chance to relax a little before heading off late morning to drive down to smartville in Hambach. After arriving, we were fortunate enough to have arranged the same catering company as in previous years who laid on a good two course lunch for all based on our previous menu choices when we applied for the event. Thank goodness that there were a number of lists floating around each table reminding us who had chosen what meal! Then, it was off to watch a short film about the history of production at smart before boarding a coach to take us to the main production area. As with many previous years, as this event was fully booked and therefore at maximum numbers, we split into two groups – one group going round the smart production plant whilst the other group went across to Magna Chassis who produce the tridion shells ) some say, the birth of the smart car itself!). After each tour concluded, the groups swapped over and each completed the Magna and smart tours respectively. And so it was at a somewhat unearthly early start to the day on Sunday the cars departed the Premier Inn for the short hop down to the P&O Ferry to catch the early morning sailing to Calais. It was at this point we met up with the remaining lucky participants who had secured a place on this trip but who did not require the overnight accommodation the night before. A beautifully smooth and ‘on time’ crossing to Calais then saw the entire tube of cars start their route from Calais to Saarbrücken using the French Toll Roads that day. The journey time is about 5 hours with stops added and the French authorities are mid ‘revamp’ of all the Rest and Service areas along the toll roads. They were good before but the stops that have been completely finished would put many a UK restaurant to shame – really excellent. For sure, we did have a small challenge when the refurbishment of one of the checkpoints had not yet completed and the planned car park was closed – but with the aid of a few strategically parked cars and use of the two way radios we managed to sweep up everyone prior to the last leg just south of Reims to our evening destination (and some say ‘second home’) at Victors, in Saarbrucken. To those that have been before, I guess Victors Rodenhof Hotel in Saarbrucken needs no introduction but suffice to say it’s been our ‘en route’ home for smart events for over 10 years now. Great accommodation, super friendly staff and it’s only 30 minutes from smartville. 6
The tours were again superbly organised, each having a unique element to it in 2013. Within the smart production plant, we could already see the new production lines and production areas being established for the planned redesign of the plant to cater for the smart ed and smart 453 production runs. Of course, the smart ed is already produced at Hambach although there is something of a labour intensive ‘smart ed’ lay-by that has been created along the production run where a smart ed is automatically moved into this lay-by (a production line that splits off from the main production run) where specially trained technicians install the battery packs and additional smart ed components before the ed vehicle leaves the lay-by and re-enters the main production line. It’s a beautifully engineered piece of logistics to have the cars pop back into line in exactly the right location but when compared with the rest of the plant it’s clear that this has been an ‘add-on’ to cater for the smart ed vehicle. The redesign of the production lines for the 453 model will also incorporate an integral line for the smart ed ensuring a slick and continuous production process. In addition, capability to finalise the 451 production lines will also continue meantime. It’s a staggering piece of engineering thought process. In addition, the Magna Chassis plant was also preparing to shut down to cater for its own internal refit to cater for the smart 453 tridion shell production process. The numbers were staggering and involve almost tripling the number of robots within the plant.
4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
Many of these robots were already installed or waiting to be installed prior to ‘coming to life’ later this year as part of that production process. Again, some clever planning here as both 451 and 453 shells have to be produced.
In addition, as with all such events, it was also the participants that really made this a successful visit. Great fun, great company and a sense of ‘smart’ interaction that really does make these events so special.
And so we felt somewhat honoured in seeing this final transitional stage of the plants prior to them closing for two months during July and August to complete the refits and redesigns before starting up again in September with the new production lines and processes.
So what of a 2014 trip? Well we will be working hard with the team at smart although whether such a visit can take place at our usual May/June slot in the calendar will be completely dependant upon the 453 launch and production processes. You can be sure however that we’ll be there again as soon as possible and I’m equally confident that yet again, applications for the event will be as copious and as over subscribed as ever!
The full day of tours concluded with a dinner back at Victors prior to our conventional ‘Tuesday off’ where the entire group had a day to themselves – a day to relax or tour the beautiful Saarbrucken area. This, our 13th visit to smartville, was without doubt, one of the best tours yet and make even more memorable by witnessing the end of existing production processes and the planned launch of the new 453 processes.
Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
thesmartclub would like to thank Sabine and the team at smart, Dr Herbert Schnepper at Magna Steyr for his (always) super enthusiastic tour of the plant, the full team at Victors and, of course, the always enthusiastic participants on this, thesmartclub’s 13th visit to smartville.
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Regular Local Meetings
Although thesmartclub is represented in multiple countries around the world, we are aware of a number of ‘local’ regular smart related meetings that take place in the UK. The meetings we currently have in our Events Diary are shown below and the map provides you a quick overview of ‘what’s on where’. 1 Greater Manchester & North Lancs Meet 4th Thursday of every month from 7:30pm, Wilton Hotel, just off M60 at Heaton Park
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Sussex Smarts Sunday breakfast Our Breakfast meet is every 2nd & 4th Sunday of the month.10.00 am, Chalet Cafe, Cowfold, West Sussex. (approx half mile south of Cowfold on A281).
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Milton Keynes & Northampton smart meet Every 2nd Monday, 7:30 pm onwards, Navigation Pub, Stoke Bruerne
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South Coast Smarts Meet 1st Tuesday of every month from 7.30pm. The Fox Inn, Waterloo Road, Felpham, West Sussex.
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Wessex Three Counties Smart Meet 2nd Thursday of every month from 7.00 pm. The Haywain, Southampton Road, Bartley, Hampshire.
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North West Smarties Meet 3rd Thursday of the month from 4.30 pm. The Hollow Tree, Tarporley Road, Stretton, Warrington.
5 4 2 Please note that as many of the above meetings are outside of the direct control of thesmartclub, details and dates may change.
If you regularly meet with a group of local smart owners and enthusiasts and you would like your meeting included in our future listings, please email: events.team@thesmartclub.com or telephone us on +44 (0) 845 299 0332 with details for inclusion in the next issue of our ‘4site’ magazine. For LATEST information and location details always check the ‘Diary’ link in our Online Forum (www.thesmartclub.com)
thesmartclub Shop
Towards the end of 2013, thesmartclub launched a whole new range of branded clothing for Members and non-Members of thesmartclub. In previous years we had a limited range of products but now we are pleased to bring you clothing and clothing accessories across a wide range of products. Many of the products offer you colour choices plus, of course, a wide range of sizes across the clothing range. What makes the new range even more exciting is the option to personalise the majority of clothing items with up to 20 characters of your choice under the logo. So, for example, you may simply wish your name embroidered under our logo or include the name of your local meeting or event. It only costs £2.50 for this feature and represents great value and superb personalisation. The range of products now available ranges from a simple branded ‘ripper wallet’ through a full range of T-shirts, polo shirts, caps, fleeces, rugby shirts, lightweight outdoor jackets and full ‘heavy duty’ outdoor clothing. Members of thesmartclub also benefit from an automatic and superb 7.5% discount across our entire product range simply by selecting the Member Shop link on our homepage or, for our ‘offline Members’, by phoning thesmartclub and quoting your Membership number. 8
4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
You and your smart
We really want to hear from you if you have a special story about your car whether it’s a special car by way of modification or simply a standard car that is special to you in some way.
NEW for 2013 We understand that you may have a story to tell but the last thing you want to do is sit down in front of your computer and type up some text. So this year we’re making it even easier – as well as having the options to email or post us your story, you can now do it by phone! Just let us know a good number to call you on and we’ll have a chat with you – that will then form the basis of a printed story that you can preview and approve prior to publication.
No typing and you still get your story and pictures in 4site! With a truly international audience, ‘4site’ provides you with an ideal additional channel to tell smart owners and enthusiasts about your ‘smart’ filled holiday, vacation, modifications, tours, competitions and ‘smart’ lifestyle. We make it easy for you to submit articles to us, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. We’ll acknowledge all submissions received and advise you when/if your article is being included. Just let us know a good number to call you on and we’ll have a chat with you – that will then form the basis of a printed story that you can preview and approve prior to publication.
You can submit articles directly to us via a dedicated page on our web site.
You can email articles, images and graphics to us any time, any day.
Visit www.thesmartclub.com and select the ‘News & Events’ menu option, then ‘4site Magazine’.
Your text can be created in an email, pasted into an email or sent to us in any file format.
You can type your text directly into the page we provide or paste text you have created elsewhere.
Emails should sent to: 4site@thesmartclub.com
We understand that not everyone has access to the internet or email services. You can send us typed or handwritten letters along with any pictures* and we’ll transcribe your text. Letters should be sent to:
Click ‘SUBMIT’ and you’re done!
‘4site’ magazine thesmartclub ltd Corbiehill Park Edinburgh EH4 5EQ UK
Or you can phone us on +44 (0) 845 299 0332
‘4site’ magazine
‘4site’ is an independent quarterly magazine produced, published and distributed by thesmartclub ltd. The magazine is not for resale or commercial redistribution. All content © thesmartclub 2013 and global Daimler media © 2013 Daimler AG. All rights reserved. The submit button © Kiankhoon, email image © Tomislav Stajduhar, party people image Poznyakov, girl writing © Showface | Dreamstime.com. Design and layout by Oliver Whittaker. thesmartclub is a brand of thesmartclub ltd, Company number SC259434, registered in Scotland, UK. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, no legal responsibility is accepted by thesmartclub ltd nor its associated third party companies for any errors, omissions or misleading statements. Views expressed in ‘4site’ are not necessarily those of thesmartclub ltd. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the firms whose advertisements appear within this publication however thesmartclub ltd cannot accept responsibility for the offers made by the advertisers even when making specific offers to Members of thesmartclub ltd. * Note that any pictures posted to us cannot be returned. Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
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News from smart
Milestone at Hambach
Next milestone in the plant history: the smart Hambach plant produced the 1.5 millionth smart fortwo. The milestone vehicle, a white smart fortwo electric drive cabrio, rolled off the production line before the beginning of the extended summer break: production will be paused for almost two months in July and August, as massive efforts are being taken to prepare the plant optimally for future production requirements with the renewal of large parts of the production installations.
“1.5 million smart fortwo vehicles underline the uniquely compact smart’s success as city car. It inspires drivers in more and more metropolitan areas around the world, because no other car is so perfectly adapted to urban driving. And with traffic and parking becoming increasingly challenging in these areas, many more smart will follow, “ said Dr. Annette Winkler, head of smart. “Powered by combustion engine or increasingly with fully-electric drive train, as private and fleet vehicle and also as tailored car for mobility concepts like car2go, the smart meets a worldwide demand. As of 2014, we will additionally offer our customers an entirely newly developed four-seated urban mobility car again.” “The entire workforce of the Hambach plant is proud to have put 1.5 million smart fortwo vehicles on the road,” said Dr. Joachim Betker, head of the smart Hambach plant. “Our unique location concept, our qualified and highly motivated workforce as well as our high production quality largely contribute to this success.” Just recently, smart took the prime spot in the ‘City Car’ segment of this year’s IQS (‘Initial quality study) ranking published by the renowned market research institute J.D. Power. This study is based on feedback from U.S. owners regarding the quality of their new vehicles in the first 90 days of ownership. Plant sets course for the future The massive construction works in the extended summer break mark the largest upgrade which the plant has seen since the start of production in 1998 – among others, a large part of the assembly installations are completely renewed. The new installations, which bring state-of-the-art production technology to the plant, lead to many improvements for flexible processes in various areas of production. Investment for these upgrades is part of the significant overall investments of more than EUR 200 million for the expansion and modification of the plant plus preparatory measures for the successor series to the current smart, which at the same time secure the plant’s future. One of the largest individual projects with a total investment of more than €50 million is the new paint shop where an environmentally-friendly liquid painting process that meets the current Daimler Group standard for passenger car plants replaced the previous powder painting process. The new paint shop greatly expands the variety of paint colours that can be realised, which means that in future smart customers will also be able to choose the colour of the tridion safety cell of their smart from all available paint finishes. 10
A success story: the smart plant in Hambach The smart plant in Hambach was inaugurated in 1997 and has produced the smart fortwo since 1998 – in its second generation since 2007. In 2012 more than 104,000 vehicles rolled off the production line. Approximately 1,500 people work at the site, consisting of about 800 employees at smart France itself and further at the seven system partners on site. The one millionth smart fortwo was built in September 2008, coinciding with the tenth birthday of the brand. The plant in Lorraine has always stood for an innovative production concept. The assembly line has the shape of a “plus” symbol to enable it to optimally meet assembly and logistics requirements, ensuring highly efficient production processes. This principle enables system partners and suppliers to deliver modules right to the assembly line. Transport and logistics are therefore reduced to a minimum – an advantage not least also in ecological terms. In addition, the construction principle of the vehicle and a modern energy concept ensure that the smart brand’s ecological product responsibility is translated into the production: For example, smartville has its own thermal power station that produces heat for the plant and covers approximately 25 per cent of its demand for electricity. In the site’s sewage treatment plant, the wastewater is immediately treated at its origin, using a membrane filter system. The quality of the treated wastewater is superior to the quality of the natural waters it is discharged into. Last year, an expert jury awarded the plant with the “Trophée de l’Excellence Industrielle 2012” for its production model and its particularly efficient logistics concept. The award is presented by the French trade magazine ‘Usine Nouvelle’ and the international business schools INSEAD and WHU. 4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
News from smart
smart drive app 2.0: A lot of infotainment for a low price smart became the first car brand to develop its own drive app for the iPhone® in 2010. Now the company is presenting a brand new version in Geneva – the smart drive app 2.0. In addition to familiar functions and modern infotainment applications, this app also brings together numerous unique new features that have been tailored to the smart brand and its customers. A complete information and entertainment centre for a low price: once an iPhone® has been equipped with the new smart drive app 2.0 for €14.49 per year (in Germany, including VAT) and connected to the vehicle using the cradle available with the “smart Drive kit for the iPhone ®”, a range of unique mobility services will be available. This app is particularly user-friendly, and it offers a wide range of attractive features in four menu areas – navigation, music, infotainment and telephony – that are intelligently interlinked. In addition, the fifth menu area, “add-on”, offers additional services for smart drivers such as the simplified finding of discounted parking. These functions have been cleverly integrated into the app, as has the unique “smart community parking” function. Here, users can upload information, including photos and evaluations, on parking spaces that are only suitable for smarts and pass this on to the community as insiders’ tips.
An overview of the functions offered by the smart drive app 2.0: • Navigation: the smart drive app has one of the most inexpensive offline navigation solutions on the market, and even includes access to worldwide maps. Many functions have been optimised for city driving. The user can, for example, call up a display of car parks in the vicinity or near the destination, and if the car park operators make such data available, they can even view parking rates and realtime information on the current availability of parking. • Music: in addition to the music files stored on the iPhone®, the “Web Radio” function also makes it possible to listen to more than 7000 radio stations around the world, while “Song ID” allows the user to identify unfamiliar songs. • Infotainment: with the help of the “smart Event Finder”, users can find out what is going on right then in the city, as it provides a quick overview of current events in the vicinity or at the destination. Organisers can even be contacted without exiting the app.
• add-on: this app makes it possible for smart drivers to take advantage of various special offers for smarts. APCOA car parks that are participating in the smart add-on mobility programme can be identified and set as the destination, allowing smart drivers to enter and leave these car parks without tickets while benefitting from special low rates. The app also includes all of the rental locations for Europcar where smart drivers can rent a larger vehicle at special rates when necessary. • In addition to the integration of APCOA and Europcar locations, in future this app will also provide information on bridges and ferries that offer reduced rates for smarts. The same applies to special low prices for car washes for the compact city runabout. There will also be functions integrated especially for smart electric drive customers such as a charging station finder that identifies available locations in the vicinity and at the destination, and even allows them to be reserved when permitted by the provider.
These wide-ranging services for smart drivers will be continually expanded in future, with the organisation of privately shared parking among the services that are planned. This will bring together those in need of parking spaces so that they can share the rent for a space in the city – because two smarts can easily fit in a standard parking space. Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
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News from smart
car2go
car2go, the simple-to-use car sharing service from Daimler and Europcar, launches in Birmingham on 8 May with 250 environmentally -friendly smart fortwo vehicles available to use over an area of 21 square miles. The idea behind car2go is simple: it’s the first fully-flexible and on-demand car sharing scheme – it’s a whole new way of getting around that’s easy to use, easy on the pocket, and easy on the environment. car2go is the future of Urban Mobility. “We are proud to launch car2go in Birmingham”, said Stefan Mueller, CEO at car2go Europe GmbH. “car2go gives you the ability to go where you want, when you want – and in comfort – but without all the costs associated with owning, running and insuring a car full-time. We’re confident everyone will find car2go an easy, cost-effective and environmentally responsible way to get around Birmingham.” Councillor Tahir Ali, cabinet member for development, jobs and skills, today launch the 12 month pilot scheme. He said: “We want to develop a range of green transport initiatives, reducing traffic congestion and carbon emissions and encouraging people to think of alternative ways of getting about. I’m pleased to welcome car2go to Birmingham, particularly as they are making the city their UK headquarters, with the associated jobs that will bring. I will be monitoring this pilot closely for all the benefits it is expected to bring.”
car2go will start with a fleet of 250 smart coupés in an area of 21 square miles in Birmingham. The car2go zone covers the city area between Oxhill Rd, Pershore Rd, Vicarage Rd, Highfield Rd, City Rd, Grove Park, Stratford Rd, and Aston Park. Within this area people are allowed to park in any Pay & Display bay without time restrictions and wherever it is free to park without affecting private resident or business parking. car2go perfectly complements the already well-established public transportation network (bus, train and Metro) in the City of Birmingham. car2go delivers the last mile of travel which helps commuters with their journey and can help to reduce congestion and pollution in the city.
Every car2go vehicle in Birmingham is based on the smart mhd – an efficient, compact two-seater which emits just 98g/km of CO2, plus the convenience of automatic transmission, start-stop technology, GPS navigation and the comfort of air conditioning. The smart fortwo coupé is easy to drive -- it’s the perfect size for urban mobility - , a dream to park, and super safe thanks to its tridion safety cell. It’s surprisingly practical too: Its boot can take accommodate everything from a quick shop to a tumble dryer – perfect for those impulse buys.
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4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
Marcus Breitschwerdt, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz UK Ltd, added: “I’m delighted that car2go has chosen Birmingham as its second UK city. Our smarts all have eco stop-start, automatic transmission, air conditioning, GPS navigation, are fuelled, insured and cleaned and are available 24/7. You don’t even have to pay for parking if you park in any pay and display without affecting residents and businesses – car2go has got that covered too. Of course, car2go is all about making mobility easy, so anyone registered as a car2go member in London or Birmingham can use the service in either city.” As easy as using your mobile phone People can register for a one-time registration fee of £29.90 - either online at car2go.com/Birmingham or at the car2go shop at 10 Fleet Street, Birmingham B3 1JL nearby Snowhill Station. Once registered, car2go members can locate any available car through the car2go Birmingham website, by using a free app or just by walking up to an available car, touching the card reader on the windscreen with the car2go member card, getting in and driving off. Once registered, driving will be charged by the minute (35p) and billed directly to the customers’ account.This rate always includes fuel, insurance, road tax, parking and maintenance at no extra cost. New customers will get their first 30 minutes of driving time for free to help them understand how the car2go concept will work well in their daily life. Customers don’t have to return their car2go to the same parking bay where it was collected. The car2go can be kept as long as the customer needs, all day, or for a quick hop across town. Birmingham is the 19th city around the world to offer the car2go scheme, and it’s the second city in the UK (London was launched in December 2012). Globally the company has more than 375,000 customers who use over 7,300 vehicles worldwide. More than eight million car2go rental transactions have been made to date, and this number continues to rise. How It Works As the world’s first-free floating car sharing service, car2go provides a new way of car sharing that is unique, particularly in these three areas: By The Minute: Members pay only for the time they use the car, by the minute, with discounted rates for hourly and daily use. There is no minimum amount of time that a car can be used – whether a member needs a car for five minutes or an entire day – members simply get in and drive, for as long as they want without having to commit to a mandatory return time or location. Parking, fuel, maintenance and insurance are included at no additional cost, and there are no annual or monthly fees. On Demand: Members can use the first available car2go they find, via a smart phone app, the car2go vehicle finder at car2go.com or by simply locating an available car2go on the street. There is no need to make a reservation in advance because members have unrestricted and unlimited access to car2go vehicles 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Free Floating: Members can pick up and drop off any car2go anywhere within the car2go Home Area – park it on any Pay & Display bay without time restrictions and wherever it is free to park without affecting resident or business parking within a defined business area. Members do not need to drive the car back to its original location or commit to a predetermined amount of time. They can simply drive the car for as long as they need it, park the car at their destination, end the rental by swiping the card on the windscreen reader, and instantly the car becomes available for the next member to use. There are five simple steps to using car2go: Step 1: Become a Member– Licensed drivers can register to become a car2go member at car2go.com and at the shop at 10 Fleet Street in Birmingham. Here they can immediately get their member card. This membership card will give members’ access to all the cars in Birmingham and London as well.
Issue 24 25 - Spring Summer2013 2013- www.thesmartclub.co.uk - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
Step 2: Locate a Vehicle– Members use the car2go finder at car2go.com, a smart phone app, tablet app, or the car2go facebook app to locate the nearest available car. They can either use the car spontaneously (without a reservation) or book a car2go in advance online or through the app. Step 3: Access the Vehicle– Members can simply walk up to the car2go, hold the membership card against the card reader on the windshield and the doors will unlock. After entering a PIN on the touchscreen and rating the condition of the vehicle, a key will be released, allowing them to drive. Step 4: Drive– Members can take the car key which is stowed next to the touchscreen unit, start the car2go and drive off. They can drive for as long as they want, without having to commit to a return time or location. Step 5: Finish the Trip– Members can complete their trip in any available public parking space within the car2go Home Area. Charges are calculated by the minute, at a rate of 35 pence per minute, and will be debited from their credit card after exiting the vehicle. Fuel, parking, maintenance and insurance are included at no additional cost.
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News from smart
Autocar Start, the smart way forward for young drivers
On June 2th 2013, Autocar, in a unique partnership with Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, smart, Carrot Insurance and Zurich, launches an innovative and cost-effective new safer driving initiative for learner drivers – Autocar Start. Autocar Start is the first integrated motoring package of its kind specifically designed to help get younger drivers on the road. Autocar Start offers young drivers with a provisional licence a brand new smart fortwo coupé pulse, 40 hours of tuition from Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy and fully comprehensive insurance from Carrot Insurance for a £500 deposit and a fixed monthly fee of £299 over three years with a 10k per annum mileage limit. “Autocar is all about accessible, safe, fun motoring, and today’s young drivers face a multitude of barriers to enjoying that,” said Autocar editor Jim Holder. “The cost of owning a car, insuring it and getting the right training to be as safe as possible on the roads is prohibitive, so we set out to put together a competitively priced package that offers peace of mind for the driver and the bill payer. “We’re especially proud of Autocar Start because it provides access to a modern car, fully comprehensive insurance and expert driver training before and after the driving test. We are confident that Autocar Start will help young drivers become safer young drivers.” 14
Teaching the young drivers will be a Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy coach in a dual-control Mercedes-Benz A-Class or B-Class. The Driving Academy will provide training before and, crucially, after the young driver takes his or her driving test, ensuring the education continues and driving skills improve. Built on the principle that all drivers are different and that, when it comes to learning to drive, one size doesn’t fit all, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy offers tuition that is tailored to each individual. Using a series of pioneering tools, such as online personal risk assessment, e-learning modules and post-lesson self-evaluation forms, students will discover how their individual personality, emotions and attitude can impact their ability to be safe and responsible drivers.
4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
Robert East, National Operations & Development Manager, Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, commented: “MercedesBenz Driving Academy uses a new coaching technique, rather than instructing students on how to drive. This motivates drivers to make the right decisions through self evaluation, without relying on short-term instructions to simply help them pass their test.” Empowering learners in this way means that the personalised skills each student develops when learning will stay with them for a lifetime of safe and responsible driving, rather than becoming a distant memory post-test. The young driver will be provided with a smart fortwo coupé pulse with an eco-friendly petrol engine with micro hybrid drive that provides the driver with 67.3mpg (government average) and low C02 emissions of 97g/km. The smart fortwo coupé is currently exempt from road tax. To promote and encourage safe driving, after six months from when they have passed their driving test, each Autocar Start member will be able to start earning cash rewards for driving safely. This is measured via Carrot insurance’s pioneering incar black box data recorder. Carrot Insurance is underwritten by leading global insurer Zurich.
Uniquely, all of the rewards earned by Carrot’s customers are paid onto the policyholder’s personal Carrot Card prepaid MasterCard® – preloaded with £20. Accepted at over 32 million locations worldwide, it can be used in-store or online, or the rewards can be withdrawn at any cash machine. It attracts a generous rate of cashback when used to make purchases at a growing network of leading high street retailers including Topshop, Debenhams, House of Fraser, Halfords and Zizzi. With Autocar Start there are also no curfews or restrictions on driving at night or with friends. The thinking behind the ‘all Carrot, no stick’ philosophy is that it creates a consumer mindset where it literally pays to drive carefully – without imposing draconian measures in an attempt to enforce changes in behaviour. The system highlights poor driving and will identify if a driver needs additional training. The young driver is responsible for servicing and fuel as well as keeping the car in good condition. There are a limited number of places available during the pilot stage of Autocar Start. Full details can be found at www.autocar.co.uk/autocarstart
“The Carrot telematics i-box monitors various aspects of driving style, such as acceleration, braking, swerving, and the number and length of journeys made,” explained Ed Rochfort, Product Director at Carrot Insurance. “This information is then aggregated into three categories – Speed, Smoothness and Usage – that are then combined to give an overall Driving Style score, from which quarterly cash rewards are calculated”
News from smart
Coming soon: a smarter matchmaker smart Retail Group is set to launch an innovative new website to help potential smart owners find their perfect match. AutoTrader meets match.com, www. smartmatch.me will apply an online dating format to the process of buying a new car. Through a series of questions, customers will be able to find a new partner from the full range of new and used vehicles available at smart Retail Group sites in Birmingham, London and Manchester. An extension of the dynamic smart brand, traditional terms such as ‘new’ and ‘used’ cars and ‘aftersales services’ are replaced by ‘new love’, ‘old flame’ and ‘TLC’, respectively. Existing members of the smart community can also upload and share a photo of their successful smart relationship in the ‘love gallery’. Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
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Two new Limited Edition models at smart of Wolverhampton. The smart fortwo cityflame edition is destined to have you blazing a trail to our door, thanks to a combination of striking yellow and black design, head-turning good looks and a superb specification. Complementing the eye-catching exterior are a black tridion safety cell, grille surround and door mirror caps as well as exclusive 15” black-painted 3-double spoke alloy wheels. ‘cityflame’ logos in the mirror triangles reveal this smart’s identity, whilst BRABUS headlights with titanium-coloured background further enhance its striking appearance. Inside the smart fortwo cityflame edition passengers can sit back and enjoy the ride in black fabric/leather-look seats incorporating flame yellow inlays and stitching. The leather-look dashboard and three-spoke leather sports steering wheel with shift paddles also feature flame yellow contrasts as does the specially-produced floor mats with ‘cityflame’ embroidered lettering. Available as a coupé or cabrio, the cityflame edition smart is packed with a wealth of standard equipment too, including air conditioning, softouch transmission, electric windows and the audio system navigation/ multimedia highline. The coupé features a panoramic roof and the cabrio is equipped with an electric soft top in black tritop fabric. Only 200 smart fortwo cityflame edition models will be available for purchase in the UK with prices starting from £10,995.
smart enthusiasts are destined to feel right at home with the latest special edition – the smart fortwo BoConcept signature style. Designed in collaboration with BoConcept, and based on the smart fortwo passion (84bhp turbo), the smart fortwo BoConcept signature style boasts an elegant exterior that fuses BRABUS details with BoConcept design elements. The BRABUS enhancements include a front spoiler, side skirts, Xclusive headlights and the BRABUS sports package consisting the of BRABUS sports exhaust system, BRABUS Monoblock VII alloy wheels and sports suspension. Body panels are finished in eye-catching matt crystal white with the tridion finished in contrasting matt oriental brown metallic which flows across onto the door mirror caps and alloy wheels. The soft top of the cabrio is brown while the coupé version benefits from a panoramic roof. The cabin’s seats, door trims, dashboard and BRABUS three-spoke steering wheel are all covered in sumptuous tobacco brown leather. A high level of standard equipment includes the highline multimedia/ navigation system, electric power steering, automatic air conditioning, ambient lighting, heated seats and LED day time running lights. The smart fortwo BoConcept signature style is available to order from smart of Wolverhampton. On-the-road pricing starts from £22,135 for the coupé and £24,515 for the cabrio. smart of Wolverhampton, General Manager, Matthew Harris, commented: “Limited Edition smart cars are always popular and demand will probably exceed supply. I would urge you to contact us as soon as possible to reserve your vehicle to avoid disappointment.”
To find out more or arrange a test drive, please call 01902 276961 or visit www.draytongroup.co.uk
» New born hero.
smart fortwo edition cityflame coupé and cabrio.
smart of Wolverhampton Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV2 4HD 01902 276961 www.draytongroup.co.uk Official Government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per 100km) for the smart fortwo range: urban 44.1(6.5)-85.6(3.3), extra urban 64.2(4.4)-85.6(3.3), combined 54.3(5.2)-85.6(3.3). CO2 emissions:120-86 g/km. smart fortwo coupé pulse City Flame 71 bhp mhd model shown for illustration purposes only. Full details on request.
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4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website smart – A Daimler Brand.
be smarter with your money.
Shopping List Used smart ed prov Ap fits er Bene al De Main y nt ra War Month 12 ll iced to Se Pr reviewed Prices regularly the reviewed against internet rhampton Smart of Wolve
to Priced sell. Our aim is to ensure our prices are the most competitive online and locally! At smart of Wolverhampton we have a fantastic selection of Approved Used smart cars which all have outstanding benefits and offers which means it is easier for you to make the smart choice. Benefits you will receive with your Approved
Used smart car purchase:
• £0 Tax† • 100% Recyclable scratch/ dent Road †† resistant panels • Up to 83 mpg • Group 3 insurance • First class cabin comfort • Low running costs • Stand out from the crowd with • Perfect for commuting your smart car • Congestion charge free with • Excellent size means Diesel smart cars excellent parking qualities Call us on 01902 276 961 for more information • Unique safety features on our Approved Used smart offers.
Drayton Group smart of Wolverhampton 46 Penn Road, Wolverhampton WV2 4HD 01902 276 961 www.draytongroup.co.uk †£0 Road Tax applicable to diesel cars only. ††Up to 83 mpg applicable to diesel cars only. Photographs for illustration purposes only.
Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
smart – A Daimler Brand.
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smart ebike
In Issue 24 of ‘4site’ we indicated that Issue 25 would contain an article based on ‘Living with the smart ed’. We are keen to ensure that we bring you the best review there is and we feel it important to give sufficient time to review this amazing car and as such, that article will appear in Issue 26. meantime, our smart colleagues at smart of Edinburgh advised that their very own smart ebike specialist had been living with the smart ebike for a while and in advance of the smart ed article, it was a great opportunity to learn more about the smart ebike from a smart ebike specialist. The smart electric bike has been around now for a couple of months and we’ve all heard the word from Germany about it – but what is it like in real life now that they are readily available? We’ve been speaking to Graham Hare – the smart ebike specialist at smart of Edinburgh to gain some in-depth details from the heart of the operation: What is it that appeals to you personally about the bikes? “It has a very stylish, modern design. Everyone I show it to is amazed by the built in technology such as the regenerative braking.”
So Graham, how did you get to the position of eBike specialist? “My background at Mercedes-Benz of Edinburgh is within the Customer Support department as Team Leader. I have been in this role for a number of years now and I was keen to get more involved in the retail side of things. I’m very keen on fitness and well-being so when the opportunity arose to get involved in cycling I jumped at the chance; it was a perfect fit for me!”
And how does it compare to other electric bikes out there? “In a side by side comparison it beats most of the mainstream bikes in many ways. It has a great range, it looks fantastic because there are no battery packs hanging off the side of the frame, or on the pannier rack. Plus, it’s not just the bike itself that makes it different. We offer an extra level of service that, I think, only a premium dealership like ours could. For example we offer full weekend test rides for local customers interested in the bike and can deliver up to 2 bikes, using our smart eBike ‘support vehicle’ – all free of charge.”
The bike is classed as a “pedelec” so it’s a pedal – electric bicycle, meaning you have to turn the pedals to get the electric assistance to start. Do you think it’s got a particular focus such as fitness or commuting because of this design? “One of the best things about the bike is that it fits lots of criteria. You can use it to keep fit by increasing resistance from the motor, or you can use it for an easy cycle commute by increasing the electric assistance – which means no sweat and no change of clothes required at the office. You can use it leisurely to keep active or even just use it to keep up with everyone on the family cycling day out!” There’s certainly a lot of potential use in the bike for all sorts of people then.
No doubt you’ve had a fair amount of people trying it already in that case – what kind of feedback have you had so far? “Feedback has been very positive. We’ve sold a few and the owners have commented that they enjoying travelling by bike so much more now that it doesn’t have to be such an effort! Some customers have also commented that they are finding that they end up using the e-bike for more trips than they initially anticipated they would, plus they get lots of compliments about it when out and about too.” So do you think that the bike is a must have for smart owners then? “Definitely – the bike has all the qualities the car has but fewer seats! It’s got a unique design, is environmentally friendly, fun to use and perfect for the city.” If you are interested in the ebike or would like to ask Graham any further questions you can contact him on 0131 466 8000 or email ghare@easternholdings.co.uk .
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4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
Dealership News
smart center Saarbrücken wins prestigious award smart Center Saarbrücken stellt Dienstleistungsqualität unter Beweis Bei deutschlandweiter Kundenbefragung zur Kundenzufriedenheit erzielt das Saarbrücker Autohaus wiederholt Bestwerte.
The smart center in Saarbrücken has been awarded for its outstanding quality of care. The customers are the most satisfied of the brand in Germany - as the result of a nationwide survey on customer satisfaction.
Das smart Center in Saarbrücken ist für seine herausragende Betreuungsqualität ausgezeichnet worden. Die Kunden zählen zu den zufriedensten der Marke in Deutschland - so das Ergebnis einer bundesweiten Kundenbefragung zur Kundenzufriedenheit.
With this study, the CSI Daimler AG regularly and intensively studied the care and service quality in the smart centers and service providers. The best companies will be honored at a special event for their achievements - as a sign of the high value on customer satisfaction has smart.
Mit dieser CSI-Studie untersucht die Daimler AG regelmäßig und intensiv die Betreuungs- und Servicequalität in den smart Centern und Servicebetrieben. Die besten Betriebe werden im Rahmen einer besonderen Veranstaltung für ihre Leistungen geehrt - als Zeichen dafür, welch hohen Stellenwert die Kundenzufriedenheit für smart hat.
“This award means a lot to us because the study, the positive opinions of our customers expresses directly,” says Uwe Conrad, head of the Center. “We are proud of our excellent quality of care and see the result as an incentive for us to continue to constantly improve.” smart is a brand of Daimler AG.
“Diese Auszeichnung bedeutet uns viel, weil die Studie die positiven Meinungen unserer Kunden direkt zum Ausdruck bringt”, so Uwe Conrad, Centerleiter. “Wir sind stolz auf unsere ausgezeichnete Betreuungsqualität und sehen das Ergebnis als Ansporn, uns auch künftig ständig zu verbessern.” Die Marke smart ist eine Marke der Daimler AG. Personen auf dem Foto (von links nach rechts): Daniel Bartos, Mitglied der Geschäftsleitung Daimler AG Katrin Heinig, Teamleiterin smart Center Saarbrücken Uwe Conrad, Leiter smart Center Saarbrücken Ulrike Mönnich, Mitglied der Geschäftsleitung Daimler AG
99 Reasons to celebrate at smart center Saarbrücken smart Saarbrücken had further cause to celebrate with one of its oldest customers celebrated his 99th Birthday. He bought the smart in November 2011 when he was 97. This year on 13th of May he turned 99. His date of birth is 13.05.1914
Issue 24 25 - Spring Summer2013 2013- www.thesmartclub.co.uk - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
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Dealership News
Driving into a purple patch Purple reigns for Peter Borley-Cox, whose purchase of a smart fortwo cabrio has resulted in greener driving and coincided with the blue skies of the UK’s first prolonged heatwave since 2006.
Peter Borley-Cox and Jodie Malsher, smart of Northampton’s Sales Executive
Seeking a more efficient and environmentally-friendlier second vehicle, Peter and partner Martin were happy to downsize but still wanted a car that was different from the more mundane motor. smart of Northampton has ensured that the couple have the stand-out car that they craved – a convertible in Peter’s favourite colour, purple. Sales Executive Jodie Malsher called upon vehicle paint specialist, House of Kolor, to transform the red smart into the desired deep purple that her customer desired with the added sparkle of a gold fleck. “When I found out that I could have the car sprayed, I just went onto the website and picked the colour that I wanted,” said Peter. After calling on Jodie’s product knowledge, Peter also had to rely on her judgement as he was on holiday in Italy when the car was due to have its paint treatment. “There was no opportunity to see a sample so I just told Jodie that I trusted her and to go for it,” smiled Peter. “I needn’t have worried as the car looks absolutely fantastic and we’ve been making the most of it in the glorious summer weather that we’ve had since taking delivery. “The smart has been getting a lot of reaction, with people driving alongside for a closer look and we’ve had plenty of shouts of ‘nice car’ too. As a qualified accountant, it’s definitely an antidote to the type of car that people think I should drive!” Submitted by Scott Fenn of Impact PR
England rugby star converted by smart Gloucester rugby star Jonny May’s smart moves helped to earn him his first England cap this summer, but now they are sure to get him noticed on the road too. The 23-year-old centre will be making jinking runs around the city aboard a new smart car, which he has acquired from Mercedes-Benz and smart of Cheltenham & Gloucester. However Jonny is no stranger to the practicality of smart car ownership or the super service provided by the Staverton operation. He has run one of the iconic twoseaters for the past three years and had it expertly maintained by the Retailer from where he has also purchased a Mercedes-Benz convertible. “smarts are just great to drive – they are solid, economical, fun, brilliant around town as they nip through the traffic and you can park head onto the kerb which I have done on many occasions when other drivers can’t find spaces,” smiled Jonny, who scored the 2012 Aviva Premiership try of the season.
Gearing up for the new rugby season is smart owner Jonny May and Paul Simpson, Mercedes-Benz of Cheltenham & Gloucester’s General Sales Manager
“I also like the fact that smarts are a bit different from the big cars that people think a rugby player must drive, which kind of suits my personality. Their size has also surprised some of the boys on the team when they have had lifts, such as the likes of Alex Brown and Will James, who are both over 6 foot 6.” He added: “The team at Mercedes-Benz and smart of Cheltenham & Gloucester have always been really helpful and ensured that my previous car never let me down, so when I decided to get another smart it just made sense to get it from them.” Submitted by Scott Fenn of ImpactPR
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4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
Dealership News
York youngsters show their true colours Primary school children in York put the art into smart when they took part in a fun design competition organised by the city’s smart retailer. More than 1,000 entries were received for the smart of York art contest, which required pupils to create a colourful and eye-catching car livery. Hannah Umpleby from Poppleton Road Primary School was the winner and a fortwo coupe was wrapped in her stunning, eco design. The youngster received a smart goody bag, whilst her school enjoyed the use of the smart for a month. “Children have wonderful imaginations and we wanted them to let their imaginations run riot for this competition, which they certainly did,” added Gemma Callaghan, MercedesBenz and smart of York’s Customer Relations and Marketing Manager. “Not only did we get a tremendous response from local schools but the standard of entries was superb and all were displayed in our showroom for visitors to admire. Judging was really difficult but Hannah’s design in line with smart’s environmental credentials was a worthy winner and looked absolutely fantastic on the car.” Submitted by Scott Fenn of ImpactPR
Changing vrooms at smart of Derby smart of Derby is looking smart in every sense after the popular Retailer has given its spacious showroom an impressive makeover. Recently completed over a couple of weeks and with the St. Christophers Way facility still open to minimise disruption to customers, the extensive refurbishment has seen the showroom environment take on a fresh new look that captures the fun, innovative and non-conformist nature of smart. The walls of the vibrant new-look showroom are finished in bright shades of green, yellow, blue and red, while there are also the additions of an extensive accessory display and a large-screen plasma television playing smart-related footage. A number of wall-mounted smart bonnets uniquely display swatches of the colour choices available to smart customers and a huge ‘graffiti’ window vinyl design is a funky reference to the car’s urban style.
As many as eight new smarts can be displayed in the spacious showroom, although to keep it more ‘open’ and usable there are currently five on display. “The refurbishment has been very well received and it’s now the ideal environment to showcase smart to our customers and gives the brand a greater identity at our site,” said Mark Rose, who has been the smart specialist at smart of Derby for over nine years. Mark is also one of the representatives from the smart UK retail network who liaise with the manufacturer over the direction of the brand and how best for it to serve its many customers. So if you have an idea for Mark that could enhance the appeal of smart or service from smart Retailers, he would be delighted to receive your thoughts via email at mark.rose@mercedes-benzofderby.co.uk.
Issue 25 - Summer 2013 - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
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Owners Cars
Riding high
Chris Payne is thrilled to be saddling up with smart in more ways than one. The long-standing brand enthusiast, from Milford, Surrey, has become smart of Guildford’s first smart ebike customer. The purchase doubles up Chris’ smart ownership as he already runs a 2003 fortwo cabrio which he has had heavily customised inside and out since acquiring five years ago. It features a roadster engine that has increased the power output from 55 to 105bhp as well as a brabus clutch, roadster deep dish wheels and lowered suspension. Whilst Chris will continue to use his cherished car for longer journeys, the ebike will be ridden on short trips, most notably for his five-mile commute to Wormley, where he works as a sales and logistics manager for an exhaust manufacturer. He says its arrival has definitely been worth the wait. “I first took notice of the ebike when it was revealed at the Paris Motor Show in the autumn of 2010,” said Chris, a regular visitor to the annual smart festival. “Because of smart’s quirkiness, I’m a massive fan of the brand and so it just made perfect sense to me to get the ebike to ride to work and back.” He added: “It is a fantastically well engineered bike and looks good too as, without a big battery pack on the back, it doesn’t resemble an electric bike. “And of course, the ebike is brilliant to ride,” Chris continued. “It breezes up a very steep hill at 15mph en-route to work in the morning, which confuses passing car drivers who can’t seem to understand why I’m not stood up in the saddle and pedalling through the pain barrier.”
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4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
Hello from smartville!
As mentioned in Issue 24 of ‘4site’, we wanted to bring you the opportunity to hear from smart colleagues actually involved in the smart production process at smartville, Hambach, France. Our first such colleague is “Bernard Meunier” and we asked him to tell us a little more about his work How long have you work here at smart? 16 years Tell us about your job: I do the retouching of cars. There are 12 people per shift in the retouching team and I’m alone responsible of the work that I do on the car. Where do you live? It takes me about 20 minutes to drive to smartville Do you have a smart? Yes a smart cabrio – the thing I like most is the pleasure of driving in automatic and without the roof! What are some of the biggest changes you have seen while working at smart? I worked for 2 years on the smart ED and I’m waiting for the “453” What interests you about the smart brand? It’s unique and innovative What interests you about your job? To work autonomously And finally, outside of smart, what are your passions? Gastronomy, oenology (wine and wine-making) and the discovery of my country
Issue 24 25 - Spring Summer2013 2013- www.thesmartclub.co.uk - www.thesmartclub.co.uk
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Inside Hambach
How production at smartville started On December 7, 1994, Micro Compact Car AG (MCC) founded in March and the French district administration responsible for the town of Hambach in Lorraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the location that had been selected. Today the company is called smart GmbH and a wholly owned affiliate of DaimlerChrysler AG. As early as December 20, 1994, the Memorandum of Understanding was followed by a contract between the two partners. Production of the smart in Hambach was planned according to novel principles, and the resulting plant for the large-scale production of automobiles was to attract worldwide attention in subsequent years.
“Critics of the smart project had doubted whether we would be able to equip such an innovative car with a length of just 2.5 meters with a convincing package of safety features. They were taught otherwise and today will appreciate that we opted for a completely new approach in production as well – to produce a car that is both inexpensive and profitable,” said the then President of the Supervisory Board of Micro Compact Car AG, Jürgen Hubbert, in 1997 on the occasion of the inauguration of the smart plant in Hambach, France. The managing director of MCC France SAS and first plant manager of the new smartville production facility, Harald Bölstler, added: “The smartville industrial park is more than just a new car factory. It is the result of successful cooperation between MCC and its partners.” Nothing significant has changed to this day. Seven system partners are still supplying their parts directly to the line in the assembly factory which is laid out in the form of a plus sign. In part, they even install their prefabricated modules into the smart themselves. Time and flexibility, just-in-time supplies and minimized delivery periods at all levels rank among the factors which have remained exemplary to this day. In this facility, transportation and logistics costs are reduced to a minimum so that the smart city coupe, which was renamed smart fortwo in 2004, is completed in less than five hours. On September 14, 1994, a group of experts arrived in Hambach, looking for a site for an industrial project. Only four days later, an industrial site named Europôle de Sarreguemines was introduced to the MCC executives, Christoph Baubin, Hans Jürg Schär and Johann Tomforde. The subsequent steps were taken unusually smoothly. In an unbureaucratic approach, the MCC’s wishes for special preparations of the site and infrastructural measures including the supply of electricity, gas and water were fulfilled. At the time, the MCC planners specially appreciated the observance of agreed timeframes by all the French administrative panels involved. 24
The decision in favor of Hambach had been made after the scrupulous assessment of over 70 potential locations, and it is seen as a clear commitment to Europe as a location of production. Situated in central Europe and close to the German border, smartville is connected to international traffic arteries. It lies on the A4 motorway from Strasbourg to Paris as well as on a railway line. What’s more, the Sarreguemines region offered a large reservoir of skilled labor most of whom were bilingual. It was possible to introduce flexible working hours at the Hambach location. Hence the lower labor costs in France as compared to Germany and Switzerland were far from being the main reason for the choice of location. A major criterion was the fact that Lorraine, its industry being engaged in far-reaching restructuring, was making great efforts in attracting new industries. And finally, Hambach was located in the structurally vulnerable coal-mining region of France. Those involved succeeded in winning over the state-owned company SOFIREM as a partner. This company had the task of promoting such regions, and in Hambach, SOFIREM was instrumental in integrating smartville in the industrial landscape of Lorraine, establishing valuable business contacts at regional and national levels. Closely networked industrial complex The greatest challenge facing the MCC production and factory planning team from Daimler-Benz at the Hambach location at the time was the development of a networked form of industrial complex at the request of MCC Chief Engineer Tomforde. Like the product, this complex had to have a modular structure for production processes which were organized as efficiently as possible. After plans of a U or L shape as layout principle for the assembly line had been discarded, the engineers came up with the idea of subdividing the line into four sections with a joint center and a full-length “pearl-string” assembly line. The idea of the assembly plus sign was born, which optimally met the different requirements of logistics and assembly. In simplified terms, the tasks set out below were assigned to the four branches: • Integration of the cockpit in the steel body immediately after the application of powder-based coating • Technical work underneath the car including the integration of the drive system (“wedding”) • Cladding of the car with body panels, doors and glazing • Installation of the seats, accessories and wheels, plus finish and final inspection.
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This structure takes up little space, and the maximum distance between the docking point for the suppliers’ trucks and the assembly line is ten meters. It also means that the assembly sectors are independent of each other. As a result, small buffer zones were established which in the event of disturbance prevent the assembly line from coming to a complete standstill. An additional building serves as product integration and preparation center. It is located outside the assembly complex and links product development in Germany with the system partners and assembly in Hambach. South of the complex, a test track for pre-production trials and quality assurance was built; here many different road surfaces for suspension tuning tests are integrated on a length of 1.5 kilometers. The smart communications center was built in full view of the near-by A4 motorway. Its task is to inform the public about the smart and the smart culture. It also serves as a venue for conferences and conventions as well as for major regional events. Here are some figures to illustrate the networked approach in smartville: an MCC workforce of only around 1,000 for all corporate functions points to the high level of external capacity. When you add the system partners’ staff, more than 2,000 people are employed here – under extreme conditions for 126 hours in four shifts per week. They are able to produce up to 200,000 cars annually. Each car runs through a total of 140 assembly steps in just four-and-a-half hours – an absolute benchmark in a European comparison. Some 300 companies were involved in the construction of smartville from June 1995. Of these, 90 percent were French, seven percent German and three percent from the Benelux countries. Of the French companies, 55 percent had their headquarters in Lorraine, 18.5 percent in Alsace and 16.5 percent in other regions of France. Well-thought-out financing scheme Construction of the new production facilities in Hambach required an innovative financing concept. In his capacity as MCC director, Baubin time and again came up with new ways of helping the young company onto its feet. The total investment did, after all, amount to some 2.8 billion French Francs. Of this total, some 1.5 billion Francs or 53 percent was contributed by MCC and 1.3 billion Francs by the system partners. The largest investor among the local partners was the internationally acting US-Canadian Magna Group which produces the body-in-white (Tridion safety cell) of the smart. Second place was occupied by Dynamit Nobel, responsible for the production of all plastic bodywork and attachment parts – the body panels. And the third-largest investor was Messrs.
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Eisenmann, responsible for surface coating and paintwork. Complementing these investments in the Hambach industrial park, system partners invested additional funds, estimated at over one billion Francs, in ancillary activities. Together with several hundred million Swiss Francs invested by the sales partners of MCC in the establishment of European sales outlets, as well as some 700 million Deutschmarks spent on development and tools in 1994, the total project volume including the system partners’ investments amounted to some eight billion French Francs at the time production was started in 1997. The development costs incurred by the different smart versions at MCC were financed from the equity and funds of partners and third parties. The amounts invested in the Hambach industrial park by MCC and its system partners came in part from a European banking consortium and in part from investment subsidies granted by central and regional French authorities within the framework of EU regulations. In this respect, the European Commission had stipulated on July 30, 1996 that the subsidies must not exceed the maximum defined for the region of Lorraine, namely 17 percent of the investment that is eligible for promotion. The effective maximum of some 450 million Francs was invested because the new project did not cause any shifts in the competitive conditions in Europe – production of the smart created a new market segment. In addition, the high investment in environmental protection and especially in the project’s host of innovations was crucial in securing the subsidies. According to experts, the phenomenon of the smart was to provide substantial stimuli for strengthening the international competitiveness of the European motor industry. The bank funds were paid out in accordance with a leasing concept that was supported by two groups of banks. One was headed by the French Crédit Commercial de France bank, the other by the German Morgan Grenfell Luxemburg bank. Together they formed a Groupement d’Intérêt which itself acted as lessor. Since mid-1998, MCC and the system partners participating in the leasing concept have been paying biannual leasing fees for the use of the industrial park. Close network of system partners Through synergies of the expertise and creativity of all the partners involved, the competitiveness of the joint project was to be strengthened. This was the starting position for the cooperation of MCC with its system partners in 1994. In the course of time, this developed into the “smart alliance” with a much-acclaimed cooperation codex. The latter underlines the joint responsibility and goals of all seven system partners at the Hambach location. Magna International produces the Tridion safety cell of the smart. Eisenmann Surtema operates the innovative paint shop, an ecologically compatible powder coating system suitable for large-scale production – and the first of its kind on a global scale at the time of the production startup. VDO, a company of the Mannesmann Group, is responsible for the production and installation of the cockpit module. The KruppHoesch Automotive Group locally assembles the rear-axle drive unit, and Bosch does the same with the front module. Dynamit Nobel locally produces the body panels and other outer-skin parts, and Ymos contributes the doors and tailgate modules.
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Inside Hambach
Continued...
Equally integrated in the cooperation model but not located in Hambach are the system partners for the smart drive and suspension: the Berlin plant of Mercedes-Benz supplies the turbocharged three-cylinder engines and the Hamburg plant of Mercedes-Benz the axles. In this way, the new city coupes of MCC France SAS were completed with just ten direct suppliers of sub-systems. But MCC consistently pursued new routes not only in the development and production of the smart. In close coordination with the operating companies, a logistic system was also established and accommodated in smartville. The Rhenus logistics and haulage company assumed responsibility for parts deliveries to the assembly line, TNT for the supply with parts and accessories, Panopa for the control of the means of transport and Mosolf for the delivery of customer cars.
The partnership model operated in Hambach is the systematic further development of the conventional producer/supplier relationship. In this new setup, the motor manufacturer acts as modular-systems integrator, process manager and producer with overall responsibility. Every systems partner in turn assumes more comprehensive responsibility. This advanced system generates aboveaverage motivation among partners who contribute to the economically viable implementation of joint corporate targets with their own innovative approaches.
Environmental protection writ large A central biological purification plant reflecting the state of the art cleans all sanitary and industrial wastewater. The plant uses bio-membranes according to the BioSep process, a highly flexible recycling method that was applied in France for the first time. The purified wastewater is used for watering the green spaces as well as for process cooling. The chassis of the two-seater smart is completely coated with powder-based paint. This economically efficient and environment-friendly paint method was applied throughout the paint process here in Hambach for the first time in the motor industry. Over and beyond its high level of environmental compatibility, the method stands out for its qualitatively advanced coat although the paint layer is thinner than that achieved with conventional paint technologies. What’s more, no solvents are emitted and no hazardous waste such as paint sludge is produced. The overall process incorporates a zinc-phosphating step without passivation – which means that it is a lead- and cadmium-free process. The strict implementation of ecological goals is also reflected by the recovery and reuse of excess materials such as the so-called overspray powder. In the implementation of the energy concept at smartville in Hambach, Lorraine, top priority was accorded to an energysavings policy right from the start, from the effective sound and heat insulation of the building’s facades through to the systematic implementation of holistic heat recovery concepts. The waste heat from the injection-molding shop and the waste air from the paint shop, for instance, are channeled through rotary heat recovery systems and air-to-air heat exchangers. The extent to which waste heat is utilized here is unique, and it means that cooling towers can be dispensed with; ultimately, this results in cost cuts and reduces the strain on resources. The power plant of smartville, consisting of heat plant and block power station, also represents the state of the art. The combustion of natural gas instead of conventional fuels alone causes lower pollutant emissions. The utilization of waste heat goes a long way towards raising the degree of efficiency.
All stages of the product lifecycle, starting with the development of individual smart components via the construction of the industrial park in Hambach through to the use and recycling of the smart, are integrated in a strictly ecological concept. Here again, Tomforde promoted a holistic and ecologically sound approach to be adopted by the construction committee. For the industrial park in Hambach, an unprecedented model of ecological compatibility was implemented. All production materials had to be compared against the black list of banned, i.e. environmentally harmful materials. All buildings are free of formaldehyde and fluorocarbons. The façade cladding is made of Trespa, a raw material produced largely from rapidly growing European trees. The planners even distinguished between wastewater from the buildings’ rain runnels and the wastewater from road and car-park drainage systems: wastewater from the roofs is collected in reservoirs for fire-extinguishing water. All other wastewater is channeled through oil separators, treated in reservoirs and reused. 26
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The harmonious integration of the industrial park in the gently rolling hills of Lorraine is ensured by an ecological green-space concept. Its major characteristics are flowing transitions between factory premises and the neighboring villages and woodlands. This is why there are not only meadows and trees lining the roads but also orchards on the premises. A pond with aquatic and foliage plants provides for the ecological balance, as do the extinguishing-water reservoirs which equally function as biotopes. Environmental protection activities formed a fixed element of smart development right from the start. MCC was the first motor manufacturer to incorporate an environment management system with certification in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 14001 norm in its specification docket as early as 1994. In fact, the very first smart city coupe already incorporated a high proportion of recycled materials used for visible exterior and interior surfaces and even for highly stressed components. Natural fibers are used to reinforce the underfloor cover. So-called single-material systems combine with standardized connecting elements to ensure the exemplary recyclability of the smart and impressively add to its innovative potential. The modular structure of the smart is also a guarantor for its economically efficient dismantling at the end of its lifecycle. This was a precondition for closed material cycles. In keeping with corporate philosophy, the company thus assumed ecological product responsibility to an extent that was unprecedented. With its dynamic environment management system which is subject to continuous improvement, the new smart brand sets a milestone in environmentally compatible individual mobility.
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Economical Driving – David Hogg
I have always loved the economical aspects of driving a smart car. I have owned two smart cars since 2006, a 2004-plate 61bhp petrol ForTwo Pure coupe, and a 2010-plate 54bhp diesel ForTwo Passion coupe. I had the first one remapped up to 84bhp, and I certainly made the most of its surprisingly spritely performance! Even better was still being able to get about 45-50 MPG whilst driving in this manner! However, after owning it for a few years, I started to notice that the more carefully I drove it, the better my MPG became – no surprise there really! When I sold the car in June 2012, I was getting about 50-55 MPG in winter and 55-60 MPG in the summer. I still loved driving the car, but the thrill of driving quickly had been replaced by the thrill of seeing if I could beat the average MPG figure compared to my last tank of fuel!
When I bought the diesel ForTwo in January 2012, which is widely regarded as one of the most economical internal-combustion engined cars around today, I decided I should treat it as such, and do my best to drive it carefully and extract as much mileage as I could from every tank of fuel. When I bought the car it had 16,500 miles on the clock, and although I don’t think the engine had fully bedded in, I was still able to get an average of 70 to 75 MPG over a whole tank. This was good, but not good enough! On my previous fortwo, I had fitted the excellent X-Gauge diagnostics display in place of the clock on the dashboard. I used this to keep track of my MPG as well as a host of other engine parameters. I was a little disappointed to find that the X-Gauge was not compatible with the newer 451 smart cars, and so looked for an alternative. In the end I went for the MisterDotCom trip computer, together with the cruise control module. More information on these can be found on their website (http://www.misterdotcom.de/) Although the prices were eye-watering at the time, I consider these to be the best two upgrades I have made to the car … closely followed by my sound system! With the aid of the trip computer, I was able to monitor my MPG, and start to learn more about what affects fuel economy. Over the last 18 months, I have seen my average MPG increase to 75-80 in the winter, and 85-95 in the summer. The average MPG over one of my last tankfuls was approximately 95 MPG – putting 26.3 L of diesel back in after driving 559 miles (image inset). These figures will also have improved marginally regardless of my driving style, as the engine has continued to bed-in over time – the car has now done approximately 43,500 miles. The following list comprises some of the tips and tricks for economical driving that I have gleaned from other drivers, and also those I have discovered myself over the past few years of smart ownership. I should say at this point, that some of these tips may sound like taking economical driving to the extreme, and that driving in this manner certainly isn’t for everyone! However, I have noticed that in my quest for ever better fuel economy, driving has become less stressful, to the point where slow traffic, cyclists, horses, and slow speed limit areas really don’t bother me any more – the whole driving experience has become even more enjoyable! It’s worth noting that these points should all be taken with a pinch of salt, and trying to drive economically should never take precedence over normal, courteous, considerate, safe and common sense driving. • Economical driving really boils down to one thing – managing momentum. It takes energy from fuel to get a vehicle moving. Once moving, fuel is still needed to overcome the forces of drag from the air, and through friction between the tyres and the ground. However, hard accelerating and braking will use extra fuel – in fact braking effectively turns fuel into heat in the disc brakes – something that certainly doesn’t help you get from A to B! Wherever possible, try to use the momentum of the car to your advantage – be it reading the conditions of a roundabout more effectively to allow you to maintain a higher speed when joining it (whilst still being safe), or by maintaining a more constant speed in urban areas by reading the road conditions ahead, and not braking and accelerating unnecessarily. • Reading the road conditions ahead saves more fuel than you might think. For example, if you see a low speed limit area coming up in several hundred yards, come off the throttle early, and let the vehicle coast and slow down by itself rather than waiting until the last minute and then braking hard. This not only saves fuel, but also saves wear on the brakes. This might sound like a trivial point, but the more you drive in this manner, the less you will actually need to use the brakes, and this can only result in prolonging the life of the brake pads and discs –
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items which are not cheap to replace! • Hard acceleration is one of the greatest killers of good fuel economy. Wherever possible, try to accelerate slowly, particularly when starting from a stand still. • High engine revs is another excellent fuel waster, so try to change up gears as early as possible – do not over-rev! The point in the rev range when you can effectively change up a gear will vary depending on the situation. For example, climbing a hill will require the revs to be higher before you change gear, or you will find yourself running out of power; or if you need to accelerate quickly to leave a roundabout, you are best off letting the revs go higher before changing up a gear. However, the more you practice changing up early, the more you will become familiar with the minimum speeds you have to attain in various road conditions before you can change up and still have sufficient power. For example, I have discovered that on flat roads in my fortwo diesel, the gearbox will let me change from 2nd to 3rd around 17mph, from 3rd to 4th around 25mph, and from 4th to 5th around 33mph. By changing up at these thresholds, it keeps the engine revs to an absolute minimum, whilst still allowing the car to accelerate smoothly.
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• If I had not seen the readouts of real-time MPG figures on the trip computer, I would not have believed this next tip. Coasting whilst still in gear uses less fuel than if you were to change into neutral and coast with the engine disengaged. This point is not so valid in smarts where it is unadvisable to change into neutral whilst driving as it can upset the gearbox, and sometimes prevent the gearbox from re-engaging when you try to put the car back in gear. However it goes to show that coasting in gear uses very little fuel indeed (the real-time MPG figure shoots up to 9999 on the trip computer when coasting in gear!), and the more you can do it the better! • Adding to the previous two points, engine braking can be used to great effect when you need to slow down. The smart gearboxes are able to change down more than one gear at a time, and this can be particularly useful when coming up to junctions or roundabouts. If you are approaching a roundabout in 5th gear, you can pull back on the gear stick twice to put the car into 3rd gear. The car will lurch a little as the engine revs up, but you will feel the car immediately starting to slow down. This trick can also be used if you see a queue of traffic up ahead – drop the engine down a gear or two to help you slow down as you approach the queue. The slight negative point of doing this is that the clutch is getting used more often, and so will potentially wear out slightly quicker, but I consider the additional gear changes to be insignificant compared to the overall number of gear changes in the lifetime of the clutch. • When travelling at speed for long distances, the cruising speed you choose can make a big difference to the engine’s efficiency. As speed increases, air resistance increases by the power of 3 – eg. double the speed, and the air resistance goes up by a factor of 8. If the traffic conditions permit, try reducing your cruising speed by 5 or 10mph, and over time you will start to see significant improvements to your fuel economy. As an example, I try to maintain no more than 50-55 mph on derestricted single and dual carriageways and motorways. • Going to even more extreme lengths, and going back to the point at the beginning about maintaining momentum, hills can also be tackled in a different manner. Theoretically (if there was no drag), if you went up one side of a symmetrical hill and came down the other, you would end up doing the same speed at the bottom of the far side of the hill as you were at the bottom of the near side. Taking this into the real world, if you are approaching the crest of a hill, rather than maintaining your speed over the top and then having to brake, try letting the car slow down a little as it reaches the top, and gravity will help it accelerate again on the other side. The fuel saving from this technique is probably very minimal, but every little helps! • Cruise control is an excellent system for maintaining a constant speed whilst minimising unnecessary acceleration. I find it invaluable on long trips on the motorway, and even in built-up areas with slower speed limits. For example, when entering a town, just set the system active at the speed limit in use, and you can then concentrate fully on what’s going on ahead of you, rather than on maintaining your speed. This being said, there are also times when it is better to manually manage your speed, such as when driving in congested traffic, or when driving on undulating hills (see the point above). • Since I started driving, I have always used premium fuels (such as BP Ultimate or Shell V-Power), over the cheaper standard types. I have not seen this confirmed in writing, but it is commonly believed that the premium fuels give you more performance and better economy than the cheaper fuels, and for this reason I have never used the cheaper fuels unless it is unavoidable. I am sure this has made a positive contribution to not only my fuel economy, but also the health of my engines.
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• The width of tyres used on the car will also have an effect on fuel economy. Although I loved the extra feeling of traction that came from fitting wider tyres and rims to my first fortwo, I have left the diesel fortwo with the standard 145 width tyres on the front, and the 175 width tyres on the rear. The less amount of rubber in contact with the road the lower the friction between the tyres and the road – it’s for the same reason that racing bicycles have such skinny tyres. It’s also worth looking at different brands of tyre when it comes to getting the tyres replaced, as some manufacturers offer tread patterns which are said to give better fuel economy than others. I have stuck with the smart’s standard Continental Eco-Contact 3 tyres which are meant to be good for economy. • If you get stuck in a particularly slow / stationary queue of traffic, or are sitting at a long set of traffic lights, turning the engine off will also help save a little bit of fuel – there’s a reason so many cars are fitted with ‘Start/Stop technology’ these days … even if I don’t see the point of it being fitted to a 4-Litre Range Rover, but that’s another story! If you are sitting at the back of a queue at some traffic lights and you see how long the green phase lasts, you can quickly judge if there is enough time to warrant turning the engine off. I once read that if an engine idles for more than 10 seconds it starts to use more fuel than if you had stopped the engine and then restarted it – whether this is true or not, I am not sure, but it is worth keeping in mind! • Unfortunately the type of terrain will have a big and unavoidable effect on fuel economy, with hilly areas taking a particularly large bite out of otherwise good MPG figures. The majority of my driving is on flat / gently undulating roads and motorways in the south of the UK. Living in the Welsh mountains will unfortunately result in lower economy figures, but all the points above will still help you get the most out of the fuel in your tank. • Finally, air temperature will also have an effect on economy, with warm summer weather leading to better economy than in winter. I hope these tips for economical driving have made for an interesting read! As well as reducing the amount of fuel I use, and the exhaust fumes I emit per mile, driving economically still gives me a great sense of satisfaction (read: smugness!) when I pull up at the pumps, knowing I am more than likely paying considerably less for my fuel per mile than everyone else around me!
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smart motorsport & the 4two Cup
It’s been quite a year of change and development across the world of smart motorsport and that looks set to continue for the remainder of 2013. The 4two Cup series of events launched 16th to 17th March with races at Zolder, Belgium comprising both the smart Cup fortwos and the UK 4two Cup ensuring a full grid for the start of the year. Moving back across to the UK, 2013 now sees the 4two Cup running within the BRSCC banner with the 4two cup cars competing along side the Arrowpak Euro Saloon and Sportscar Championship. Although these non-smart cars are on track simultaneously, the results, of course, continue separately under each series.
photo courtesy Marc Waller
Rockingham UK The first UK races took place at Rockingham on 6th April with three 4two Cup races that weekend, the grid comprising both 4two cup cars and the Belgian smart Cup competitors. Race 1 results (Saturday 6th April) • 1st : Berg : 21:32.283 : 11 laps • 2nd : De Coster : 21:55.366 : 11 laps • 3rd : Craig : 21:58.926 : 11 laps • 4th : Caira : 22:00.004 : 11 laps • 5th : Nash : 22:04.504 : 11 laps • 6th : Bates : 20:12.292 : 10 laps • 7th : Palmer : 20:16.106 : 10 laps • 8th : Baker : 20:53.985 : 10 laps • 9th : Verleyen : 21:17.987 : 10 laps • 10th : Gill : 20:32.074 : 9 laps Race 2 results (Saturday 6th April) • 1st : Berg : 20:45.536 : 10 laps • 2nd : De Coster : 20:47.139 : 10 laps • 3rd : Caira : 20:48.094 : 10 laps • 4th : Nash : 21:08.066 : 10 laps • 5th : Baker : 21:20.105 : 10 laps • 6th : Verleyen : 21:20.794 : 10 laps • 7th : Bates : 21:22.196 : 10 laps • 8th : Palmer : 21.33.277 10 laps • 9th : Gill : 22:11.641 : 9 laps • DNF : Craig : 2.07.646 : 1 lap Race 3 results (Sunday 7th April) • 1st : Berg : 27:21.225 : 14 laps • 2nd : De Coster : 27:31.530 : 14 laps • 3rd : Caira : 228:16.192 : 14 laps • 4th : Bates : 26:31.290 : 13 laps • 5th : Nash : 26:39.810 : 13 laps • 6th : Palmer : 27:45.876 : 13 laps • 7th : Gill : 27:54.564 : 12 laps • DNF : Verleyen : 12:53.146 : 6 laps • DNF : Baker : 2:43.897 : 1 lap
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Snetterton, UK The next UK rounds saw the cars move to Snetterton for two races on 20th and 21st July respectively. A dry and cloudy day meant a break from the 30C temperatures that had been keeping the UK hot over the preceding weeks and the relatively small 4two cup grid was again on track with the Arrowpak Euro Saloon and Sportscar Championship competitors. Race 1 results (Saturday 20th July) • 1st: Berg - 21:15.606 : 8 laps • 2nd: Craig - 21:15.698 : 8 laps • 3rd: Nash - 21:21.894 : 8 laps • 4th: Palmer - 21:54.107 : 8 laps • 5th: Baker - 22:27.542 : 8 laps • DNF: Bates - 5:30.161 - 2 laps Race 2 results (Sunday 21st July) • 1st: Berg - 23:39.824 : 9 laps • 2nd: Craig - 23:48.320 : 9 laps • 3rd: Palmer - 24:44.695 : 9 laps • 4th: Baker - 22:04.987 : 8 laps • DNF: Nash - 11:12.253 : 4 laps Modern Classics Series In addition to the 4two Cup series of races, Rob Baker (s2smarts) has also been entering his 4two in a new championship from July 2013. He is competing in the ‘Modern Classics Series’ where he will be competing against MX5’s, BMW M3, Porsche 996 and 968 and even a Ferrari 355 (!) – importantly however, it’s great development opportunities for Rob’s car and equally great track experience for driver and team. We’ll be publishing further details about these events at The smart Racing Club web site and meantime, the calendar of events is as follows: • Castle Coombe – 13th July • Pembury – 3rd and 4th August • Donington Park – 24th and 25th August • Oulton Park – 21st and 22nd September • Snetterton – 19th and 20th October 4site - the columns that support thesmartclub’s website
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CAR INSURANCE
Join in. Call now* for a quote on 0845 600 3429 Or visit us at thesmart.co.uk/ins OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES IN MPG (LITRES PER 100KM) FOR THE SMART FORTWO RANGE: URBAN 44.1 (6.5)-85.6 (3.3), EXTRA URBAN 64.2 (4.4)-85.6 (3.3), COMBINED 54.3 (5.2)-85.6 (3.3), CO2 EMISSIONS 120-86 G/KM. * Our UK-based call centre is open Mon to Fri 8.30am – 6pm and Sat 9am – 2pm. All calls charged at local rate. Motor Insurance is arranged by Daimler Insurance Services UK Limited. A Daimler Company. Tongwell, Milton Keynes MK15 8BA, United Kingdom. Underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited, Registered in Scotland No. 2116, Registered Office: Pitheavlis, Perth PH2 0NH. Both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. For joint protection calls may be recorded and/or monitored. We may decline to quote in some circumstances.
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smart – A Daimler Brand.
Magazine design & production by Oliver Whittaker Š 2013 32
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