Automobile maker Daimler announced a partnership agreement with Vectrix to produce an electric scooter under the company’s Smart brand. As previously reported, the Smart eScooter is scheduled to enter production for 2014.

The Smart eScooter was first unveiled in prototype form at the 2010 Paris Motor Show alongside a electric bicycle (the Smart eBike) and the electric version of the Smart ForTwo car. The eBike is already available in Europe and electric ForTwo has been introduced to the U.S., notably with Daimer’s Car2Go carsharing subsidiary deploying a fleet of the electric vehicles.

For the eScooter, Smart turned to the more experienced hands at Vectrix for help. Vectrix has been producing electric scooters for years, making it a logical partner for Daimler. Continue Reading »

Mercedes-Benz announced it will bring the electric Smart eScooter to market in 2014.

The concept model of the Smart eScooter was originally unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto Show along with an electric bicycle (the Smart eBike) to showcase the Smart ForTwo electric car. Both the car and the eBike are launching this year, but they will be joined by the eScooter in 2014.

“The decision in favor of the escooter has been made,” says Dr. Joachim Schmidt, executive vice-president of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz Cars. “With this step, we are adding a further important component to our smart mobility concept for urban mobility in the future.” Continue Reading »

Here at Motorcycle.com, we spend an awful lot of time searching out and covering stories about the motorcycles that will shape the future of the industry. Sometimes it is also a good idea to turn around and look back at just how far we’ve come. The first known motorcycle in existence was constructed back in 1885 by German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach near Stuttgart. Essentially a motorized wooden bicycle, the Reitwagen, (riding car) as it was called, was the first petroleum-powered transportation device.

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