RTEV, the company behind Ruff and Tuff electric ATVs, and Shuanghuan Automobile Company have formed a partnership that will see the Wheego Whip arrive in the US by May of 2009. Wheego is the street division of the Atlanta-based company and is now headed by former Miles Electric Vehicles COO, Jeff Boyd. If you are looking at the picture above and thinking, "Dude, that's a Smart Fortwo!", you'd be wrong because this, my friends, is a Shuanghuan Noble upon which the Whip (E-Noble outside the US) will be based.

The Whip is said to be capable of 60 mph but will be restricted to Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) status in America until it can pass Department of Transportion muster. Able to travel 50 miles on a charge, the not-so-Smart car will be packing (AGM) batteries for now. The bodies will be built in China but will have their electronics and powertrain installed in the US. Get all the details in the press release after the break plus a bonus video of a Whip prototype getting checked out on an episode of Talking with Tami.

[Source: RTEV / YouTube]

The video above is a local news report about Fly Bo, a Chinese all-electric car, available for sale in Michigan. The speedometer on the car goes to 40 MPH and in the video Dave Latarte, owner of Great Lakes Auto Sales, which sells the Fly Bo, says the car has a range of 70 to 150 miles. Do you think Fly Bo looks a little like the Smart? So does DaimlerChrysler and they did threaten to sue.

We have kept you updated of the controversy since October 2006 and now this news report and the Great Lakes Auto Sales website seem to prove you can pick one up in red, green or yellow for $10,000. Although, I would not recommend it because I am a little concerned about the quality of the cars. The news report says they are not recommended for use in the Winter.

... who decided to sell Fly Bo in balmy Michigan of all places?

Related:

• Mercedes may sue to stop Euro sales of Chinese Smart clone
  
• Chinese Smart cloner backs down
  
• Electric Smart coming from China without DCX?
  

[Source: ClipSyndicate via Ecoegg]

Automotive News Europe (subs req'd) is reporting that there is very little that will stop the upcoming sales of a Smart 'clone' in Europe. Even though Martin Motors, the European importer of the Noble, a Chinese-built car, has been threatened with lawsuits, Martin is saying the cars will go on sale at the end of October or early November for between seven and nine thousand euros. The Smart car company is part of Mercedes-Benz.

The CEO of Martin Motors, Guido Martinelli, explained to Automotive News Europe that Mercedes' legal threats are not a big deal. "After a preliminary hearing between our lawyers and those from our German distrubtor, we see no evidence in Mercedes claims. We plan to show the Noble at the IAA in Frankfurt," he said.

IAA organizers may prevent the Noble from making an appearance "if the model infringed intellectual property rights," Automotive News Europe writes. Look at the pictures above. You think it qualifies?

[Source: Luca Ciferri and James Franey / Automotive News Europe]

Last fall a battery-powered clone of the first generation Smart ForTwo turned up in China before it was quickly stomped down. Another one is now expected to be displayed at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show and China Automobile Deutschland wants to begin European imports. The Shuanghuan Noble is a four seater that looks much like the Smart and is expected to cost 7,000 euros.

As expected, Mercedes is not happy about the idea and is threatening legal action to stop the little car. They have already been in touch with the manufacturer but probably won't comment publicly until the car appears in public at the show.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]