Here is the scoop on the Smart Car from Forbes.com — the price does not appear to be helping its sales. It isn’t even the car as much as the battery.

And Jerry Flint in Forbes.com seems to be a straight talker:   “The battery companies don’t hand out the price list to me, and the car makers keep it a secret, too.

“But we’re taking about lithium ion batteries of some type, and from what I’ve heard, the batteries needed to give a car a 40-mile range cost around $10,000. Batteries for a 100-mile range may run $25,000 or more.”

He also warns about the mass production myth.

In his review of several cars on the market today, he takes a realistic approach, and any green car curmudgeon might be giving him two thumbs up.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/18/electric-cars-detroit-business-autos-backseat-driver.html

–RW