Smart ForVision Electric Concept Car

Smart has long been one of the huge supporters for eco-friendly innovations in vehicles, and this time around they intend to make a splash at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show by announcing that they will be parading their spanking new electric vehicle (EV) concept there, dubbing it the ForVision Electric Concept. It might look rather ordinary from the outside, where it was designed and developed in collaboration with BASF (which incidentally is the world’s largest chemical company – although I wonder just how green BASF’s products are).

Just what does the ForVision Electric Concept intend to do if it makes it to the assembly line? Well, Smart hopes that this will result in an effort that reduces energy consumption, while the vehicle itself has been imbued with its fair share of technological marvels, where among them include the roof that carries organic photovoltaic solar cells which will generate sufficient energy ensure the vehicle’s multimedia components and climate control feature will be powered without the need to sip from its internal battery.

Apart from that, the ForVision will be the recipient of all-plastic wheels to make sure it remains light, weighing around 3kg less than conventional rims. Makes me wonder whether it might be too light for freeway use, especially when larger and heavier vehicles zoom by.