Having already made significant in-roads into the electric vehicle market, Smart is now planning to introduce its second generation electric drive Smart Fortwo with production to begin in early November.
The second generation of the vehicle boasts a 14kWh lithium-ion battery pack from Tesla Motors housed between the axles and a 30kW electric motor that is fitted at the rear and offers 120Nm of torque. It can accelerate from 0-60km/h in 6.5 seconds making it just as quick as the petrol model, and it has a maximum speed of 100km/h.
Smart’s Fortwo electric drive can be charged at any 220V normal household socket and a fully charged battery is sufficient for 71miles of driving. With studies showing that cars drive an average of between 30 and 40km a day in towns and cities, the vehicle will only need a three hour charge.
The vehicle is based on the Smart Fortwo Coupe/Cabrio Passion. Its equipment includes air conditioning with automatic temperature control, and an ammeter that shows the consumption and the recuperated energy.
According to electricity prices in Germany, it costs approximately two euros to drive the Smart Fortwo for 100 kilometres – and this price can be reduced further with the use of off-peak electricity.
The first vehicles will be used in the e-mobility Berlin project, and it will also be offered to selected leasing customers. It will be produced in large volumes as part of the normal Smart range from 2012.
