Batteries included in holiday Smart Car
When Dana Womack stopped by the SamÂ’s Club on Westworth Boulevard for lunch earlier this winter, she picked up a copy of the holiday gift guide to flip through. She was hoping her husband, Keith Branyon, might take a look at the jewelry pages for Christmas gift ideas.
On the inside of the front cover was a SamÂ’s Club Once-in-a-Lifetime package for sale, which included a new lithium-powered Daimler Smart Car and a trip to NASAÂ’s Kennedy Space Center in February.
“He never got to the jewelry part,” said Womack.
Branyon was intrigued by the $35,000 Smart Car package, and on Nov. 8 purchased it just seconds after it was officially posted for sale as people from across the nation tried to buy it.
On Dec. 12, Branyon stepped into his new car, made by Hybrid Technologies Inc., based in Mooresville, N.C. He was excited with the new purchase, saying that he and his wife were committed to decreasing their carbon footprint, but he couldnÂ’t believe heÂ’d been the one person to buy the package until he saw the car.
“I haven’t really told anyone about it because I’m just skeptical enough to think maybe it was a gag,” Branyon said.
Branyon, a partner at the law firm Jackson Walker, and Womack, judge for the 348th District Court, said now theyÂ’re trying to figure out how to incorporate the small car, which has seats for two and just enough room in the back for their rescued Labrador retriever, into their daily lives.
Womack said they bought a hybrid Ford Escape in an attempt to cut down on gas usage, and they also own a Mini Cooper, which has high gas mileage. As Branyon slowly drove his car through the aisles of the store, people stopped to stare and comment on the tiny vehicle.
“When they had me driving it around the store, I thought, are you serious? What if I hit something?” Branyon said.
Womack said that the car must seem very small to most people, but she and Branyon were prepared for the size since they already have a car smaller than most.
“I was telling my mom, ‘You’re not going to believe what Keith got. It’s smaller than the Mini Cooper,’” Womack said.
Hybrid Technologies, which made the lithium-powered car by using a Daimler Smart Car shell and fitting it with electric technology, is also partnering with Wal-Mart Inc.Â’s SamÂ’s Club division to sell lithium battery-powered Mini Coopers. Richard Griffiths, one of the co-founders, said the company also does contract work for the government and other organizations, such as providing lithium-powered PT Cruisers to be used as fleet vehicles for the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We take great vehicles and we re-electrify them,” he said, adding that the company has no interest in designing vehicles from the ground up.
Branyon and Womack said the new Smart Car will be ideal for the two of them to carpool to work on weekdays, and it will cut down on their gas costs. They have yet to find out what it may do to their electric bill, though. The car needs about four hours to fully charge when plugged into a 220-volt plug, and they said an electrician is changing an outlet in their garage from a 110-volt to the larger capacity. A small screen inside the car shows how much charge is left in the battery. The car can go more than 100 miles per charge, according to Hybrid officials.
“Have you ever driven a golf cart? It’s kind of like that,” Branyon said of how the car handles. There’s a split-second delay between hitting the gas and moving, he said, but unlike a golf cart, the car can go up to 70 miles per hour.
Kristen Beaman, who does Texas corporate relations for Allstate Insurance, said that when Branyon contacted them about adding a car to his current insurance policy, it took some time to work out how to insure it.
“It doesn’t have as much history on the road,” Beaman said.
Consequently, thereÂ’s not much data to use in order to estimate how much damage may cost to repair or what problems may be more frequent in a Smart Car.
The car is insured, although at a higher cost than a normal car, Beaman said, but as time goes on and the vehicles become more popular, rates will be adjusted as needed.
“We know this is the next generation in cars,” she said.
Griffiths said packages like this and other promotional events will bring awareness of the need for more environmentally-friendly products.
“This represents something more than one car,” Griffiths said. “It’s the start of more mass market acceptance of this kind of vehicle.”
Now, with three cars and a detached two-car garage, Branyon and Womack said they are going to have to think about how best to arrange all the vehicles.
“I was telling the manager here, ‘I hope they start selling garages,’” Branyon said.
Contact Bassett at ebassett@bizpress.net
