News that the Smart car is coming to the US made the rounds a couple of weeks ago. I love cars, especially energy efficient ones, so I decided to drive up to Zap (the distributor in Santa Rosa) to see for myself. They have 5 convertible Smarts in their showroom. These cars are great! Very big inside, totally fun and perfect for San Francisco. They are clearly better made than the various other mini and electric cars that Zap has on display. I’m pretty much ready to buy one. Unfortunately, the sales guy told me that he’s been waiting to make his first sale for 5 months – because the car’s EPA approval has been pending. Once they have it, they still can’t sell in California. That will require separate state approval. Could be a while.