LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A US firm that has licensed the technology used to produced the super-compact Smart Car said it had received more than one billion dollars worth of orders for the quirky mini-car.
 
California-based Zero Air Pollution (ZAP) said orders were flooding in as the peculiarly European car made by DaimlerChrysler made its entrance onto the American market, long accustomed to large vehicles but now smarting from the fast-rising price of petrol.

"ZAP reported that it had received more than one billion dollars in orders from US dealers for Americanized versions of the Smart Car micro-coupe," the company said.

The firm said it had placed an order for one billion dollars worth of the economical Smart Cars with DaimlerChrysler unit smart GmbH and was waiting to see if the German-based firm will be able to fulfil the order.

ZAP, stressing it has not agreed to accept all the orders for the cars, said however it had received offers from distributors to supply tens of thousands of the high-efficiency mini-cars in the United States.

"Given the overwhelming demand we have received from US consumers for the Smart Car, we are very pleased to have this early source of the vehicles," said ZAP chief executive Steve Schneider said in a statement.

The car, which has been enormously successful in Europe, was unveiled in the United States last week as ZAP prepares the sports utility vehicle-dominated market for the advent of micro cars.