The heartbeat of a new generation grows stronger all the time: with its Concept Style Coupé, appearing at this year's Auto China (23 April to 2 May 2012), Mercedes-Benz will be making a convincing statement in favour of avantgarde design in the sporty executive coupé segment. The four-door coupé is a rebel when it comes to style: nonconformist, provocative and masculine. Technical highlights include its striking headlamp design featuring innovative indicators, the new four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 155 kW (211 hp) and the all-wheel drive system 4MATIC.
"The Concept Style Coupé is expressive and powerful in its design", said Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. "We are staking our claim very clearly here. This is the model against which sporty vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in future."
"The almost production-standard Concept Style Coupé sets a new benchmark for avantgarde design in the executive segment", emphasised Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz. "Its breathtaking proportions, sinewy fluid surfaces and sculptural lines are the physical expression of our dynamic design idiom."
Following a brief appearance at the Avant/Garde Diaries event in Los Angeles (20 April to 6 May 2012), the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé (length/width/height: 4637/1891/1398 mm) will be celebrating its official world premiere at Auto China in Beijing (23 April to 2 May 2012).
Provocative and masculine: the exterior
Its breathtakingly sporty proportions and powerfully dynamic design idiom, featuring the interplay between concave and convex surfaces that is so typical for Mercedes, give this four-door coupé its unmistakable look.
Among its most striking features are the way the bonnet with its powerdomes is set right into the front end assembly, as well as its diamond-look grille, which follows through on design cues set by the Concept A-CLASS. The paint finish of the concept vehicle is in Alubeam – a colour that helps to emphasise the sculptural quality of its lines.
The innovative headlamps of the Concept Style Coupé are reminiscent of the ever wary, almost intimidating eyes of a predatory animal. In standby mode they shine red. The indicators are another special feature: when they are activated, the individual elements light up one after another in a "Mexican wave" effect.
Three prominent lines give structure to the vehicle when viewed from the side: the front structural edge over the wings flows towards the rear end in a characteristic dropping line. Another, more sinewy line spans the shoulder muscle above the rear axle, while the third line extends upward in a sweeping curve from the front wheel towards the rear. Together, these lines lend more depth and dynamism to the side profile. The ripple design of the prominent exterior mirrors takes advantage of the design freedoms enjoyed by a concept car.
The same is true of the 20-inch wheels, with their very sporty turbine design. Perforated pins on the spokes pick up once again on the diamond-theme of the radiator grille. The Concept Style Coupé features frameless side windows and has no B-pillar.
A large panoramic roof creates a light and airy interior. A metal rib, the shape of which evokes a roll-over bar, separates the roof from the rear windscreen, which in turn flows down to merge smoothly into the tail end. The avantgarde lines of the Coupé are further emphasised by the way the tail lights, with their metallic-red colouring, taper to a sharp point both to the front and toward the rear centre. An integrated dual-flow exhaust system underlines the car's sporty credentials and gives added width to the tail end. A narrow rear diffuser picks up again on the dotted pattern of the diamond grille.
High-grade sportiness: the interior
The interior opens up to reveal taut, expressively sculptured surfaces. A large carbon-fibre trim panel spans its full width, giving it the elegance and distinctively ‘cool’ appeal of a coupé. Standing proud from the instrument cluster are the two tubes, also in carbon fibre and individually glazed. When the indicator is activated, a ring lights up in the tubes.
Flowing back in a long, continuous wave from the instrument panel is the centre console. Embedded in this is an intricately designed fan module for the two rear seats, which also incorporates a stowage compartment.
The world of fashion provided the inspiration for the colour mix of light grey and anthracite. A fresh, sporty touch is added by neon green piping and topstitching, which appear on the instrument panel, steering wheel, seat and door centre panels, amongst other places.
Fine materials combine with high-grade workmanship to set a new benchmark for quality. There has been no stinting on the use of leather, either: the instrument panel is upholstered in white nubuck leather, providing an interesting contrast with the anthracite-coloured Alcantara®used on the upper section of the instrument panel. Suede is used on the sports steering wheel to ensure better grip. All chrome trim elements and control panels now for the first time feature a black anodised finish, as seen on top-of-the-range limited Sports Edition chronograph watches. The surfaces around the HMI control panel have the glossy shimmer of black anodised aluminium.
The four integral seats with integrated head restraints are already familiar from the Sports version of the new A-Class. An electroplated insert in the upper part of the seat adds to the impression of lightness and is illuminated.
The design of the air vents in the instrument panel evokes an aircraft jet engine. As in the Concept A-CLASS they are backlit and change colour according to the temperature set by the occupants for the climate control system. When cool, fresh air is being brought into the car, they are blue, but they light up red when the airflow is warm. At a mid-range temperature setting the vents are illuminated in fluorescent yellow, and thus match the colour of the piping perfectly.
"Always on", even in the car: the multimedia system
With COMAND Online and the various Mercedes-Benz apps developed specifically to be used and controlled while on the move, as well as with the ability to browse the internet when the vehicle is stationary, the occupants of the Concept Style Coupé are "always on" and able to maintain their digital lifestyle at all times.
Mercedes-Benz is firmly convinced that the future lies with cloud computing. The software for the COMAND Online applications is not stored in the vehicle, but runs off the Daimler Vehicle Backend. The advantage is that the system can be updated with new applications "over-the-air" (OTA) through a mobile phone connection, without the car having to be taken into the workshop. The software is thus always up to date, irrespective of the development cycles of either the vehicles or the consumer electronic devices.
Sportiness in tune with the times: the engine
Sporty driving dynamics coupled with exemplary efficiency are the hallmarks of the engine of the Concept Style Coupé. Powerful wheel-hub drive is provided by the 2.0-litre version of the new petrol engine generation with 155 kW (211 hp), combined here with the efficient 4MATIC all-wheel drive system and the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission.
Among the highlights of the four-cylinder engine are its direct-injection system with exhaust gas turbocharging, an enhanced combustion system and extended stratification ranges for lean-burn operation using fast-acting injectors for the multiple fuel injections, and multi-spark ignition according to need.Credits: Daimler AGCopyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Prior to the TRANSMISSION LA:AV CLUB festival, the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé emerged today on the internet in a set of unofficial pics. The vehicle previews the design philosophy for the new CLA compact four-door coupe, which is expected to bow at the Los Angeles Auto Salon in late 2012. Seeing this spectacular accomplishment of pure automotive art, expectations are very high regarding the CLA which should end up being pretty similar in real life. This new concept car from Stuttgart premieres a striking exterior showcasing a complex and progressive design evolved from the Concept A-Class. The shining diamond grille is there, as are the intricately styled headlights and the powerful front apron. The coupé-ish silhouette is suggested by the rakish, rear-dropping roof line and the muscular profile boasting large wheel arches to house the impressive alloy wheels, that, when in motion, resemble aircraft rotors in full action. The back end completes the whole automobile in an elegant note thanks to the highly distinguishable LED lamps and the astonishing rear diffuser. Inside, the Concept Style Coupé continues the A-Class theme in a more stylish way. The green tones mixed with deep colours such as black, white and grey, and the crazy-looking fabric for the seats and door panels help create a truly awesome atmosphere, whereas the four-seat architecture further adds up to the impression you are travelling inside an elegant and dynamic coupé.
The mindblowing concept will be introduced in front of the audience at the above-mentioned Los Angeles art & music festival, which opens its gates on 20th April and lasts up to 6th May. Mercedes-Benz will also celebrate the world premiere of the Concept Style Coupé at Auto China 2012 in Beijing (23rd April - 2nd May).Photo Credits: GermanCarForumCopyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
The new portfolio of compact-sized vehicles from Mercedes-Benz gathers the new A-Class and B-Class at the moment, but the Stuttgart-based carmaker will further expand the lineup with more attractive niche variants. Among those is the future CLC-Class (C 117), which looks to be a more affordable alternative for the CLS 4-door coupe in this segment. While the official launch of the production model could take place towards the end of 2012, Mercedes-Benz is set to offer an insight into the new model by revealing the Concept Style Coupé showcar at Los Angeles on 20th April, during the "Transmission LA: AV CLUB" multi-disciplinary festival. Read more about this event after you press the jump button!
Avant/Garde Diaries Festival in Los Angeles - Mike D curates the Los Angeles debut of Transmission LA: AV CLUB in affiliation with The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
The Avant/Garde Diaries, a global online interview magazine, is hosting “Transmission LA: AV CLUB curated by Mike D,” from 20th April to 6th May, at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Los Angeles. The multi-disciplinary festival is scheduled to be the meeting point for the Los Angeles art and music community, and is the sequel to the series of festivals that premiered in Berlin last year with curator and fashion designer Raf Simons. Mike D will be joined by Roy Choi, Benjamin Jones, Mike Mills, Tom Sachs, Public Fiction from Los Angeles, Still House Group from New York, and additional artists and musicians, for the 17-day collaborative festival in Los Angeles.
"I'm psyched to be presenting a group of visual artists, musicians, DJs, food masters, and top notch baristas. I'm honoured to be a part of a truly memorable sensory experience,” said Mike D.
With exhibitions, concerts, DJ nights, performances and installations, the festival will illustrate how audio and visual art forms can inspire each another and unleash unimagined synergies. This artistic concept is also symbolised by the event’s logo, which depicts the letters A (for audio) and V (for visual), merging inextricably and appearing to fuse with one another. The festival will be open daily from 20th April to 6th May. Entry is free.
Opening hours:
Sunday: 11am to 6pm
Monday: noon to 6pm
Tuesday: closed
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: noon to 10pm
Saturday: 11am to 10pm
The Avant/Garde Diaries
Mercedes-Benz started the Avant/Garde Diaries in 2011 as a creative platform for topics including art, fashion, music, and the innovations, trends, and culture that are shaping social discourse. The festival itself provides a platform for international artists and trendsetters, under the direction of a visionary mind, to present their perspective on the world of today and tomorrow, as well as enter into dialogue with experts and the general public. A digital interview magazine at www.theavantgardediaries.com captures innovators with extraordinary ideas who are influencing culture and future trends.
“The aim of Avant/Garde Diaries is to offer a platform for creativity. Curiosity and the joy of breaking through existing barriers are drivers for innovation and progress, and not just at Mercedes-Benz,” said Anders Sundt Jensen, Vice President Brand Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars. A special highlight of the festival in Los Angeles will be the artistic staging of the Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé, which will be unveiled to the world for the first time.
About the artists and musicians participating in Transmission LA: AV CLUB
The artists participating in the Transmission LA: AV CLUB festival were selected by curator Mike D.
Roy Choi, chief chef of the iconic Kogi Korean BBQ Food Truck in Los Angeles. He is considered as a post-abstract expressionist food artist >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kogi_Korean_BBQ_note-lat-1
Mike D: “This LA native represents the truly global vision and tastes that can be LA at least in a culinary sense. Roy truly amazes me with his ability to reinvent radically different cuisines presenting them with respect for what they are but completely remixed or reinvented. His work is really analogous to what a hip hop producer or DJ does, chopping up a sample, re-contextualising it, adding beets, maybe a little vocal and on and on. And he makes a hell of a mixed tape.”
Peter Coffin, an artist who resides and works in New York City. Often using art history as a departure point for his surreal reinventions, Peter Coffin’s work engages with pre-conceptions about cultural ideals to challenge established perception and interpretation.
Mike D: “Peter is a mad man, genius, and physicist/prankster and keeps a sly wit in cold storage for special occasions.”
Will Fowler is a painter who lives and works in Los Angeles. He makes abstract paintings that reference early Modernism. His paintings can sometimes take years to complete and often contain the same patterns and shapes quoted from his previous work.
Mike D: “I first saw Will’s work at David Kordansky’s booth at the armoury show in New York City. Even amongst this chaos, his methodical yet witty abstract canvases stayed tight, focused and galvanising. I was sucked in immediately. One can keep coming back to his work which, filled with enough depth that repeat views are a must and rewarded.”
Benjamin Jones is a cartoonist, painter and multimedia artist who resides and works in Los Angeles. Besides exhibiting sculptures, paintings and drawings at galleries internationally. Jones has designed giant blimps, sneakers and board shorts, animated music videos for M.I.A and Beck, and produced a plethora of computer-animated cartoons. He has defined an aesthetic both handmade and mass-produced, combining cartoon characters, high energy techno music, meta-graffiti, fantasy worlds and sublime colour fields.
Mike D: “Ben’s work can be silent, in that there can be moving animated images without a sound track, but it can be the loudest thing on the planet. I can truly say that his installation will leave visitors stoked or perhaps nauseous or both.”
Mike Mills, a filmmaker, graphic designer and artist who works and resides in Los Angeles. Among other things, he has created music videos for Moby, Yoko
Ono and Air, as graphic designer he has worked on album covers for such acts as Beastie Boys, Beck and Sonic Youth, and on promotional material for X-Girl and Marc Jacobs.
Mike D: “Mike is a true Renaissance man: a visual artist, a film maker, a graphic designer, a musician and a personal collaborator even. What am I forgetting Mike? And he does it all with such great flare but a lot of heart.”
Public Fiction, an Art Space and a publication from the East side of Los Angeles, created by Lauren Mackler.
Mike D: “Lauren Mackler is an energetic magnet for artistic talent on the East side of LA. I became aware of her from her publication: Public Fiction. What will go down at the show will go way beyond the publication and will really explore the audio visual realms and realities.”
Tom Sachs, a sculptor who resides and works in New York City. Probably he is best known for his elaborate recreations of various modern icons, all of them masterpieces of engineering and design of one kind or another. For example, he made Knoll office furniture out of phone books and duct tape or recreated Le Corbusier's 1952 Unité d'Habitation using only foamcore and a glue gun.
Mike D: “It is with great pleasure that AV CLUB presents Tom Sachs. It is kind of a full circle thing for me because over a decade ago during a hot summer in NYC a small group of us including myself and Tom kept gathering in the evenings at a friend’s shaved ice stand in lower Manhattan trying to cool off from the savage heat. We wanted to listen to music, so Tom started building different boxes so we could listen to dub while we enjoyed the shaved ice, good company and scenery. These contraptions became bigger and more elaborate as the summer went on and eventually Tom built the behemoth that you all will see, feel and hear in the show.”
Still House Group, an emerging arts organization based in Brooklyn, New York. It supports a unit of young artists, aged 22-26, providing them with an environment to conceptualise, produce and exhibit their work.
Mike D: “Still House are an interesting call to me. Younger for sure, but wise beyond their years: this Brooklyn NY based artist collective can pretty much
do it all so we are looking forward to what they will bring on 19th April.”
Sage Vaughn, an artist who works and resides in Los Angeles. Wildlife and Wildlives make up his world. Swarming brightly coloured butterflies along with strangely dressed kids makes for some interesting subject matter, and there is definitely a feeling of tension between the natural and unnatural elements in these paintings.
Mike D: “Sage is a painter that I am a fan of. I am always excited to see new work of his. He has the chops, imagination and the humour.”
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Illustration Credits: Schulte-Design
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
Two world premieres and a European premiere: New developments from smart at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show
smart will be presenting numerous ideas for electric mobility in urban areas at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show – with two wheels and four, with the practical cargo area of a pick-up or the sportiness of a smart BRABUS. The facelifted smart fortwo with a clearly restyled exterior will be a further focus.
The smart for-us translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of 21st century urban traffic for the first time. With its exterior dimensions it could almost go unnoticed on the loading area of a typical pickup, and it also anything but ordinary under the body. Thanks to the state-of-the-art electric drive with a 55 kW magneto-electric motor the zero-emission smart for-us, which will be celebrating its European premiere in Geneva, is agile and lively to drive.
The spring of 2012 will see the smart fortwo making its mark in a striking new look with an upgraded exterior and a fresh leather/fabric mix in the interior. The substantially revamped smart fortwo sports a markedly more dynamic appearance, featuring a larger radiator grille with integrated logo, striking front aprons in a new design, horizontally arranged LED daytime driving lights, muscular side skirts and modified rear aprons.
New limited series: the smart fortwo sharpred is a real eye-catcher as the intense red of the tridion safety cell and door mirror housing forms a striking contrast to the rest of the exterior in black. The smart fortwo sharpred is available as a coupé and as a cabrio with a 52 kW mhd petrol engine or a 62 kW petrol engine.
From June the further developed smart fortwo electric drive will start winning wide-ranging buyers in more than 30 countries for its innovative and forward-looking drive concept. Driven by a battery supplied by the Daimler subsidiary Deutsche ACCUmotive for the first time the 55 kW electric motor passes the 120 km/h mark. A new sales model makes the introduction to electric mobility particularly attractive: the sale&care model offers customers an opportunity to buy the vehicle at an attractive price and to lease the battery for a monthly fee.
smart will also be presenting the production version of the trendy and environmentally friendly smart ebike at the Geneva Motor Show. Just a few weeks later, from the end of April, it will be possible to order the electric two-wheeler from smart contractual partners in 16 European countries and in Canada. The first models will be delivered in May 2012. The smart ebike will initially be available in two colour variants at an attractive price.
The smart BRABUS electric drive, which will celebrate its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, offers a look ahead at the sporty BRABUS version of the smart fortwo electric drive. In addition to modifications to the exterior and interior styling, its drive has been designed for particularly dynamic and powerful acceleration. Aerodynamic body styling parts, BRABUS sports suspension and BRABUS Monoblock 16/17 inch alloy wheels add to the sporty appeal.
The near-series smart BRABUS ebike study, a further world premiere, can reach a speed of up to 45 km/h, thus offering a further enjoyable way of getting around the city and countryside. This sporty two-wheeler has the features typical of BRABUS - more style, more power and more exclusiveness.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
smart is turning the automotive world upside down once again and challenging ideas about what an urban pickup should look like. In a tongue-in-cheek manner the for-us signals that this is the right car for the young and young-at-heart with active lives who attach importance to low emissions and taking up minimum road space. The smart for-us translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of 21st century urban traffic for the first time.
With its exterior dimensions (length/width/height: 3547/1506/1701 mm) it could almost go unnoticed on the loading area of a typical pickup, and it is also anything but ordinary under the body. Thanks to the state-of-the-art electric drive with a 55 kW magneto-electric motor the zero-emission smart for-us is agile and lively to drive.
smart CEO Dr. Annette Winkler says "We at smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!”
Like car2go, the globally successful car sharing initiative from smart for more flexibility in city traffic, the smart for-us is a mobility concept. Just like the smart fortwo, which has enjoyed success around the world, it has ample room for two people, but it also has space behind for two smart ebikes, which can charge their batteries on the cargo area during the journey. From a trip into town to an outing to nearby nature reserve – the smart for-us safely transports two people and two electric bikes without producing any emissions. The ebikes on the cargo area become range extenders in two respects: thanks to the docking station on the cargo area of the smart for-us their batteries are always charged, and smart for-us drivers can also reach destinations that are out of bounds for cars – for example traffic-calmed zones in the city or isolated park trails.
The exterior: sassy and robust with extremely short overhangs
Even the first glance at the study shows that this smart can do more – yet it remains true to itself. It has a surprising, sassy and robust appearance – but thanks to the visible tridion safety cell and a number of other features it is typically smart. Furthermore, both the interior and the exterior feature a number of charming details which show that the smart designers devoted themselves to the project with the joie de vivre typical of the brand.
Compared with the series-produced fortwo the smart for-us makes a powerful statement and its appearance plays with the martial image of conventional mega-pickups. Nevertheless, it greets the viewer with a friendly yet assertive face. It features convex and sensuously shaped body surfaces. The large brand emblem is proudly sported on the grille, and the front has a pronounced three-dimensional design with an underride guard finishing off the lower part of the front end.
The for-us is raised by 50 millimetres as against the standard smart, and demonstrates that it is perfectly suited to off-road driving, for example to reach mountain bike terrain. In a later development stage the electric drive could be extended in the direction of a 4x4 with two front wheel hub motors.
The longer wheelbase (2480 mm/plus 613 mm) and the track that has been widened by 50 mm on each side also emphasise the robust look of the study. At the same time the extremely short overhangs at the front and rear make it exceedingly compact and provoke supporters of conventional pickups: small is beautiful – even as a pickup.
The smart for-us rolls on Michelin off-road tyres measuring 235/55 R 18. The wing nuts of the central mounts of the three-spoke wheels are an attractive detail: they fold out and then serve as a lever to release the wheel nuts.
The design of the rhombic front and tail lights is very striking and is reminiscent of the design of the smart forvision, which caused a stir at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The outer rings illuminate the indicators and daytime running lamps with a large number of rod-shaped LEDs. The lamps seem to push outwards like arrows – like drops on the cockpit window of an aeroplane as it takes off. The tail lights can even be opened and provide stowage space, for example for the charging cable or drinks cans for sporty bikers.
The tailboard at the rear of the smart for-us is electrically driven. Remote control or touching the integrated touchpad retracts the cargo floor including tailboard by 280 mm, and the tailgate then slides down in a parallel position. The cargo on the 900 mm cargo area is then extremely easy to access.
The high-gloss white metallic paintwork of the smart for-us with the tridion cell in a grey textured finish also builds a bridge to the smart forspeed presented at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and to the smart ebike. On the other hand, the honeycomb structure of the air inlets takes up an aspect of the smart forvision, which attracted lots of attention at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The subtle colour accents in a warm yellow establish a further visual link to the interior.
The interior: stylish, uncomplicated and highly functional
Sleek, taut surfaces in mother-of-pearl white combined with precisely designed technical functional elements in brushed aluminium – the interior is characterised by contrasts. The white metallised leather establishes a link to the instrument panel, which in turn is related to the body. The headrests featuring metallic leather are a reference to the matt-finish textured paint of the tridion safety cell and – in line with the clean design – they largely dispense with seams. Yellow adds highlights to the interior, for example on the seat belts and seat covers. Leather door trim provides a further high-quality contrast.
Like in the smart forvision, the whole cockpit boasts aerodynamic styling for interior ventilation. The control and display elements are oriented to the driver. Just as the cockpit module divides the instrument panel, the two-spoke steering wheel is open at the top. In place of a conventional rear-view mirror the smart for-us features a smartphone accommodated in a holder on top of the instrument panel support. The driver can see what is happening on the road behind with the help of an integrated video camera.
Stylish, uncomplicated, highly functional and easy to individualise – the two seats in the concept car are typically smart. The seat shells, which are open in the middle, are covered with a soft fabric throw giving them a hammock-like seating feel. Practical: when the seat cover on the passenger side is removed long items can be loaded through the seat of the smart for-us.
The study has yellow seat covers with a deep embossed silver hexagon pattern indicating a progression and thus emphasising the vehicle's dynamism. As the covers can be removed in no time at all, simple individualisation with other throws is conceivable. The seats could even be used as avant-garde seating at home or when spontaneous seating is needed outdoors.
The cargo space has two slits for the front wheels of the smart ebikes. A special docking station in the middle enables the ebikes to be charged whilst being transported on the smart for-us. And bicycle tools or other items can be accommodated in the stowage compartments on the right and left of the load space.
Electric drive: zero-local-emission driving fun
The electric drive of the smart for-us is based on the innovative drive concept of the smart fortwo electric drive, which will be launched from the spring of 2012.
Thanks to the 55 kW magneto-electric motor the smart for-us is agile and lively to drive. With 130 Newton metres of torque it boasts powerful, lag-free acceleration and it can overtake other vehicles with the greatest of ease. The maximum speed exceeds 120 km/h.
The lithium-ion battery has capacity of 17.6 kWh. When completely empty it takes a maximum of eight hours to fully charge the battery at a household socket or charging station on the electricity systems of most countries i.e. overnight.
smart ebike: urban electric mobility on two wheels
There are two smart ebikes on board the smart for-us – perfect for local-emission-free city driving. The colour of the two ebikes, which are based on the production bike to be launched by smart in the spring of 2012, has been matched to the smart for-us. Some of the components, for example the battery housing, therefore come in the highlight colour yellow.
With an unconventional design in line with the style of the brand, functions appropriate for city use and high technology standards that are demonstrated by the extremely efficient and high-performance drive package among other features, the smart ebike has an exceptional position.
High-quality components guarantee dynamic, safe and fun cycling. For example, MT4 disc brakes from Magura are fitted at the front and rear. The smart ebike also features state-of-the-art infotainment: a USB interface is a standard feature and enables various mobile end devices to be connected.
smart's high technological standards are manifested in the extremely efficient and high-performance drive package. As a "pedelec" (Pedal Electric Cycle) the smart ebike is strictly speaking a hybrid: the electric motor – a maintenance-free and brushless rear-wheel hub motor from BionX – switches on as soon as the rider starts pedalling as with a normal bicycle. Muscle power is transmitted to the rear wheel via a durable and quiet belt drive. An integrated three-speed gear hub provides for simple gear changing.
The strengths of the ebike include its agile performance: the rider of the smart ebike decides how much power he wants the 250 watt electric motor to deliver to support his muscle power by pressing a button on the handlebar. There is a choice of four power levels with the fourth and highest level providing maximum pushing power. Depending on the power level selected and the manner of cycling a battery charge can last for more than 100 kilometres.
Credits: Daimler AG
Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.
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