PINT-SIZED PICKUP

4x4magazine | 10/01/2012 | 0 Comments

Calling it the perfect vehicle for an urban society, Smart unveiled in Detroit the “for-us,” its tiny take on the classic pickup truck.

The electrically powered concept truck combines the fun and freedom of a pickup with the practicality and ecofriendly aspects of an economy car. Smart, a division of Mercedes, said the concept vehicle is so small that it could fit in the bed of a traditional pickup and be barely noticed. At the same time, it provides enough room for two people to sit comfortably. The tailboard at the rear of the smart for-us is electrically driven. When it opens first of all the cargo floor including tailboard retracts by 280mm, then the tailgate slides down in a parallel position. The cargo on the 900mm cargo area is then extremely easy to access. The displayed concept truck’s cargo bed hold spaces to charge the front wheels of two electric bicycles.
The interior is mother-of-pearl white and brushed aluminum, with bright yellow seat covers. Instead of a traditional rear-view mirror, a video camera shows the space behind the car on a smart phone mounted above the dash. The truck features Michelin off-road tires mounted on three-spoke wheels with fold-out wing nuts.
It has a 55-kilowatt magneto-electric motor. With 130 Newton metres of torque it boasts powerful, lag-free acceleration and the maximum speed exceeds 120 km/h. Its 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery can be fully charged in less than eight hours.