Tiny 'Smart Cars' Conveniently Green, AffordablePOSTED: 3:41 pm EST February 25,
2008 PITTSBURGH -- Only two dealerships in Pennsylvania, one of them in Pittsburgh on Baum Boulevard, carry the new "smart cars."There's a waiting list 19 months long for the small cars, which start at $11,500.The cars, some of which come with a convertible roof, have anti-lock brakes, front and side airbags and are made by Mercedes Benz, are conveniently green, too.General manger of the Baum Boulevard Mercedes Benz location, Greg Szabatura, showed WTAE Channel 4 Action News anchor Kelly Frey what the car is all about."Every vehicle we have has the same features on it," said Szabatura. "There's just more gingerbread on the upper end models."On the outside of the miniature motor, candy colored panels and wheel liners are made from fully recyclable molded plastic."So, unfortunately, if this were ever in a crash and not reparable, you could take it, recycle it and put it into another smart car," said Szabatura.The bright paint is water-soluble and powder coated, which means, in the process, very little is lost into the environment.On the inside, the dashboard is made from flax, a plant material."You can see it underneath," said Szabatura. "There, It is accessible from the top and from down below for easy service."The compact engine is one liter, three cylinders and has 70 horsepower. The car also gets about 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 on the highway. It also gets 50 percent better emissions quality than a regular car.The 70 horsepower handles the 1,680-pound smart car just fine, too.And parking is a snap. Two 8 feet 8 inch smart cars fit into one regular parking space.For more information on the smart car, visit www.SmartCenterPittsburgh.com. Related Links: More County NewsGet RSS | E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2008 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
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