Chinese-made Smart knockoff already being sold Stateside

klutch

klutch

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In Saginaw, Michigan at Great Lakes Auto Sales is the only Flybo Electric Car dealership in the states. The Flybo XFD-6000ZK is a Chinese-made Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) that can go 45 mph (with the 25 mph limiter removed) and gets 70 to 150 miles per charge, depending upon use.

The Chinese import is being marketed towards gated communities and for driving around town. With similar styling as a Smart Car, the Flybo is hoping to Tai-Bo the competition with its 110v standard household charging and a price tag around $10,000.

The Flybo XFD-6000ZK is produced by Jinan in the Jinan Shandong province of China and its products are being sold in Russia, Europe and the U. S. The Flybo electric car is rear drive only at this point and for those who don?t need to use the highway regularly, it would make for a good second car.

The one downside of the Flybo XFD-6000ZK is that it is not recommended for winter driving. So, the dealership in Michigan may need to fly south for the winters to sell more vehicles.
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I know, the news is a few months old, but I haven't seen much mention of it. I can't believe Mercedes has let this slip through.
 
And it probably is a deathtrap in a crash.
 
$10,000 for that? :shock: For not much more you can get an Aveo that would be much more useful.
 
I saw one last week, but only for a glance. I was very confused, but now I guess I understand.
 
For 10,000 you can do a lot better, hell, buy an old V8 car and spend the 7,000 left over on petrol.
 
Yeesh, talk about a death trap. I'd rather put around in a golf cart.
 
I think the batteries are all in the back...imagine getting in a front-end crash, the rear floor pops open, the 40 pound batteries fly out and knock your head off, spilling acid on your now decapitated body.


How the hell did these meet NHTSA standards?
 
klutch said:
How the hell did these meet NHTSA standards?
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Probably didn't have to, if they're selling it as a non-highway legal vehicle. I think manufacturers can get away with that.
 
tigger said:
Probably didn't have to, if they're selling it as a non-highway legal vehicle. I think manufacturers can get away with that.
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I don't think it matters if its for highway use or not; if its for the roads, its for the roads - has to meet crash and safety standards, for the same reason you can't import a Holden or an Opel. I have a feeling it has more to do with the fact that its electric; there's probably exemptions for them.
 
How can they sell such a ripoff in the US? Aren't there enough copyright protections in the US to prevent near identical copies being sold?
 
klutch said:
I don't think it matters if its for highway use or not; if its for the roads, its for the roads - has to meet crash and safety standards, for the same reason you can't import a Holden or an Opel. I have a feeling it has more to do with the fact that its electric; there's probably exemptions for them.
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It is probably being treated like the GEM. http://www.gemcar.com/company/

Global Electric Motorcars, a Chrysler company, has been in operation for ten years. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, Global Electric Motorcars manufactured its first vehicle in April 1998, a 48-volt GEM car that accommodated two passengers and had a top speed of 20 mph. Less than two months later, a significant breakthrough occurred in the market as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) designated a new class of motor vehicle, the low-speed vehicle, also known as the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The low-speed vehicle class allowed GEM cars to be driven on public roads if they met certain safety criteria such as having safety belts, headlamps, windshield wipers, and safety glass.
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Why rip off a Smart car, its terrible, so the knock must be REALLY bad
 
Cut that price in half, and remove the speed limiter, then they would have a chance.
 
10k? WTF???

And it doesn't even resemble a smart in the slightest!
 
What, they expect to sell these cars in Michigan? Are they mad, trying to sell a Chinese-made electric car in the Big Three's home state? It seems wrong.

They'd probably sell in California, though.
 
The Chinese are just going too far now. How can you even call that piece of fucking shit a "car"? And I thought Corsas were bad...I can't even say any more, I really can't...please...just leave me alone :(
 
Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) that can go 45 mph (with the 25 mph limiter removed)
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Seriously?! 25mph limiter?.... for $10k?!!?

I know everyone is saying Aveo this, and used car that. But in this case you'd be MUCH better off just buying a pedal bike :lol:.
 
Hey, you know what they say, there's a sucker born every...never mind.



hoping to Tai-Bo the competition
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:blink: That's the most strained Asian reference ever. Tai-Bo the competition...wait, what the

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