PHOTOS: Smart Unveils Quirky For-Us Mini Electric Pickup Truck at the Detroit Auto Show

Although the concept of a mini pickup truck may seem like an oxymoron comparable to "jumbo shrimp", we were extremely excited to see micro-sized auto manufacturer Smart unveil its electric pick-up truck concept this morning at the <a href="http://www.naias.com/">North American International Auto Show</a>. The all electric "For-Us", which is sure to be the tiniest off-road vehicle at the 2012 <a href="http://www.naias.com/">Detroit Auto Show</a> was introduced today by Jon Lovitz and was sportier than expected with white body paint and matte gray accents plus a yellow interior and wheel details.

The technology behind the new pickup is similar to <a href="http://inhabitat.com/smart-fortwo-electric-version-of-the-smart-car-hits-the-roads/">Smart's previous ForTwo</a> model shown at the Frankfurt Auto show in 2011. The technology used is lithium-ion from <a href="http://www.accumotive.de/">Deutsche Accumotive</a> with a 17.6kWh capacity and a magneto-electric motor delivering 55kW (74 HP) and 130 Nm (95.9 lb-ft). This allows the car to reach speeds around 75mph and go from 0-60 in 5 seconds. The driving range is slightly lower than a standard For-Us, topping out at about 87 miles.

[gallery_extend]....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/smart-unveils-its-for-us-mini-pickup-at-the-detroit-auto-show/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

[gallery_extend]....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/smart-unveils-its-for-us-mini-pickup-at-the-detroit-auto-show/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

Although it may seem like an oxymoron comparable to "jumbo shrimp", we were extremely excited to see micro-sized auto manufacturer Smart unveil its electric pick-up truck concept this morning at the <a href="http://www.naias.com/">North American International Auto Show</a>. The all electric "For-Us", which is sure to be the tiniest off-road vehicle at the 2012 <a href="http://www.naias.com/">Detroit Auto Show</a> was introduced today by Jon Lovitz and was sportier than expected with white body paint and matte gray accents plus a yellow interior and wheel details. Smart CEO Annete Winkler said, "We at Smart love pickups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the Smart For-Us a petrol station is no longer required!” Although it is compact, this pickup has maximized its available space! The cargo area is only 3ft long, but expands when the tailgate is dropped down. In order to make sure that the bed would fit two of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/daimler-goes-smaller-than-the-smart-car-with-its-smart-e-bike/">Smart E-bikes</a>, the wheelbase was widened slightly from the previous model.

[gallery_extend]....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/smart-unveils-its-for-us-mini-pickup-at-the-detroit-auto-show/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

[gallery_extend]....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/smart-unveils-its-for-us-mini-pickup-at-the-detroit-auto-show/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

[gallery_extend]....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/smart-unveils-its-for-us-mini-pickup-at-the-detroit-auto-show/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

[gallery_extend]....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/smart-unveils-its-for-us-mini-pickup-at-the-detroit-auto-show/'>READ ARTICLE</a>