I knew something was fishy about the previous numbers that were quoted in an Automotive News story. The article stated that out of 30,000 hand raisers, smart USA had converted only 1,000 firm orders. This Reuters story quotes the same 30,000 hand raiser number, but states that smart USA reconfirmed with over 8,000 of those potential customers and about 90 percent of those customers turned their initial reservation into firm vehicle orders with just 7 percent asking for refunds. Okay, so what did the other 3 percent do? I don't know, but an order bank of 7,200 is much more believable than 1,000. Buyers in the very front of the line should see their cars no later than January. The Reuters story also mentions that smart should have its micro hybrid in the USA within two years with an all-electric version released later on down the road.
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