After years of selling small Smart Cars outside of the U.S., DaimlerChrysler is reportedly bringing them here, according to the Detroit News.
DCX previously resisted bringing the 8-foot long cars to the U.S. because the company didn't think they would sell, but the rising oil prices finally did the trick. Several companies tried to import the cars without DCX' help, leading to a lawsuit with ZAP, which claims to have distributed 200 Smart Cars in the U.S.
The cars use a conventional ICE and won't approach Prius-like mpg (the ZAP version gets around 40 mpg); official word will come for DaimlerChrysler this week.
So maybe American roadways will start looking a bit more like the byways of the rest of the world where SUVs and large gas guzzlers are rarities instead of the norm.
UPDATE 6/28: DaimlerChrysler confirmed that it would start selling Smart Cars in the U.S., but not until 2008.
