IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Travel Nav
The Passport blog

The futurist: Possibly the world’s smallest pick-up truck

In
By
Smart For-US pick-up truck

The Smart For-US pick-up truck has a 90cm-long bed that can carry Smart’s electric bikes.

The newest concept from Smart, the compact electric car company, is a tiny, pick-up truck that is only about three-and-a-half metres long.

Debuting at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January, the car is almost a metre longer than the company’s leading model, the Smart fortwo. It might be a stretch to call the new concept a pick-up truck, but it does have an electrically-powered tailgate that folds down to create a 90cm-long bed.

The magneto-electric engine is powered by a lithium-ion battery and can reach speeds of up to 120kph. However, Smart has not yet released the range of this zero-emission vehicle before it needs recharging. The bed of the truck also acts as an electric charging station for Smart’s electric bikes, which can be plugged into the bed while being transported (the front wheels have to be taken off for the them to fit). So now electric-transport lovers can drive the Smart pick-up to the bike trails — or if there is too much traffic, just park somewhere and continue on via Ebike. If you’re not a biker, you can always use the cargo space for your organic groceries or compost dirt.

The truck also has tech-y add-ons like an integrated video camera that shows the road behind you and a smart phone holder instead of a rearview mirror. While Smart has not confirmed this concept car will make it to the dealerships, the car’s innovative electric motor technology will be manufactured and available in spring 2012.

Web link http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20111215-the-futurist-possibly-the-worlds-smallest-pick-up-truck

Follow us on

Best of Travel

Latest articles and features

BBC Travel content is produced in partnership with Lonely Planet. Lonely Planet is a unit of BBC Worldwide. The information supplied by BBC and its partners was accurate at the time of publication. BBC accepts no responsibility for any loss resulting from this information. Verify critical information before travel.

BBC © 2013 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read more.

This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.