LOS ANGELES, April 30 — As first reported by TechCrunch, Daimler announced that its compact all-electric car brand Smart will be pulled from the US and Canada after the 2019 model year, following poor sales.
Yesterday, TechCrunch reported Daimler’s plans to discontinue Smart in North America, as it prepares instead to launch the brand in China. The 2019 model year will be the final model to be available in the US and Canada.
“A number of factors, including a declining micro-car market in the US and Canada, combined with high homologation costs for a low volume model are central to this decision,” said a Daimler spokesperson.
In January, February, and March of this year, the company was unable to sell even 100 units from the brand in the US. During all of last year, monthly sales rested around 100. Since the brand’s US launch in 2008, sales have been steadily decreasing, and Canada has seen a similar trend.
Recently, Daimler announced that it is forming a joint venture between Smart and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese auto company — the owner of Volvo — that will help build Smart into an all-electric brand based in China, to launch globally in 2022.
Though Smart will be pulled from the North American market, Daimler will continue to produce electric models for the US and Canada through Mercedes-Benz. — AFP-Relaxnews
