Smart to Trim Its US Dealer Network by a Third

Daimler’s Smart microcar brand is scaling back its operations in the United States, with more than a third of its American dealerships set to close down soon.

Smart recently made the decision to only offer the electric version of its ForTwo compact in the U.S. Mercedes-Benz, which runs Smart, asked the 85 Smart dealerships in the U.S. to decide whether or not they’d like to continue to sell the cars following the change, with only 27 electing to remain in business.

The 58 dealerships that decided to no longer sell the ForTwo will continue to operate as Smart service centers. Many of the dealerships that elected to remain fully operational are located in major city centers and in states that have mandates in place for electric vehicles.

SEE ALSO: Tuned Smart ForTwo Stuffs Lots of Luxury Into a Tiny Package

The vast majority of Smart dealerships will have converted to service centers or begun selling only EVs before the end of the year. The redesigned, fourth-generation ForTwo Electric Drive and ForTwo Electric Drive Cabriolet will go on sale in the U.S. before the end of the summer.

According to Automotive News data, Smart’s shrunken dealer network represents the smallest of any brand in the U.S. As of last year, Lamborghini operated 31 dealerships in the U.S., while Rolls-Royce and Ferrari operated 35 and 37, respectively. If you want to be exclusive you can forget supercars – you should grab a ForTwo.

[Source: Automotive News]