Daimler Finds Use for 200 U.S. Smart Cars

No, it has nothing to do with Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus. I know: I shouldn’t be dissing the Smart. Even though American purveyors of Daimler’s diminutive darling are having a little problem with customers walking away from their advance deposits, Smart was the only brand amongst America’s 46 automotive nameplates that posted a sales gain in March. OK, we’re talking about a one percent gain, to just 1,746 units (the rounding error for Camry sales). So . . . the Smart is one of a handful of cars that makes me want to get out and walk, but The New York Times hearts the fashion victim’s overpriced rolling penalty box, big style. About which the Gray Lady brings glad tidings! Daimler is dumping 200 Smarts into an Austin, TX car share program. True story. What’s more, YOU pay THEM for access to the cars.

Specifically, the Austin service will offer drivers shared access to 200 Smart Fortwos 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To confirm a car’s availability, customers hold a member card over a card reader on the car’s windshield. If the car is available, the door will unlock. The driver can then access the keys from the glove compartment using a PIN. If the car is not available, the customer will be directed to the nearest available Car2go. The service also lets you prebook your vehicle and locate a car by phone or the Web.

That sounds unnecessarily complicated to me. Why not just leave the keys in the ignition? I kid. But seriously, the template German car2go service is a big hit. With the media, anyway. And isn’t that what’s really important? For the media, anyway.