|
Price |
|
-- |
Production |
|
-- |
|
Engine |
electric |
Weight |
-- |
|
Aspiration |
-- |
Torque |
89
lb-ft |
|
HP |
40
hp |
HP/Weight |
-- |
|
HP/Liter |
-- |
1/4 mile |
-- |
|
0-60 mph |
6.5
seconds |
Top Speed |
62
mph (electronically limited) |
(from smart Press
Release) From mid November 2009 the new smart fortwo
electric drive will roll off the production line at the smart
factory in Hambach, France. Unlike its predecessor, the electrically
driven smart fortwo of the second generation is fitted with an
innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery. It is housed in
a space-saving position between the axles, which means that space is
not compromised in any way in the intelligent two-seater vehicle. A
30 kW electric motor is fitted at the rear. This provides for good
acceleration and high agility with 120 Newton metres of torque that
are immediately available. The smart fortwo electric drive can be
charged at any normal household socket. In Germany, a full battery
charge costs approximately two euros and is sufficient for a range
of around 135 kilometres – more than enough for city traffic. smart
has made electric drive a practical alternative for zero-emission
mobility in urban areas. The new smart fortwo electric drive is
initially being leased to customers in Berlin and other cities in
Europe and the USA who will subject the environmentally friendly
trendsetter to intensive real-world testing in tough everyday
conditions. From 2012 it will be available to anyone interested.
Environmental
friendliness and contemporary functionality have been defining
features of the smart fortwo ever since it was launched more than
ten years ago. Since then its innovative concept has combined
sustainable, forward-looking technologies with individual urban
mobility. With a length of just over two and a half metres the
extremely compact vehicle can also park perpendicular to the flow of
traffic. In addition, the space-saving and environmentally friendly
two-seater currently has the lowest fleet consumption and brings its
occupants to their destination comfortably and safely. Its design is
fresh, youthful, modern and yet sophisticated and has made it an
automotive lifestyle icon which shows that mobility, responsibility
to the environment and joie de vivre are compatible with one
another. The smart fortwo has established a class of its own.
smart fortwo electric drive offers
innovative driving fun
The new smart fortwo
electric drive from the popular brand that will roll off the
production line from mid November 2009 is a logical continuation of
a very ambitious goal: the production of a well-engineered,
attractive city car that has no local exhaust gas emissions i.e. a
zero emission vehicle. smart started emission-free driving in the
tough everyday conditions of city traffic in 2007 in London. Since
then 100 smart fortwo electric drives of the first generation have
been in practical customer operation. The feedback from the
UKcapital has been very positive and confirms the high degree of
maturity of this vehicle concept.
In 2008 smart presented
the second generation smart fortwo electric drive, a more advanced
electric drive with an innovative lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion
technology has decisive advantages over other types of batteries
including higher performance, shorter charging times, a long life
and high reliability. Marc Langenbrinck, responsible for brand
management at smart, says: "The second generation smart fortwo
electric drive is based on a successful and accepted vehicle concept
with character and inherent environmentally friendly
characteristics. Its innovative electric battery drive makes it the
perfect car for the city: it is agile, economical and
climate-friendly. Motoring with zero local emissions in an urban
environment has become a reality. This equates to driving fun with a
clear conscience."
Electric drive taken into account
in the very first concept
Electric drives have
been part of the smart concept right from the start. The later
integration of the components needed for electric drive was planned
at a very early stage. For example, there is space for the battery
in the underfloor between the axles where the tank is located in
other smart models . The electric drive module does not limit the
space available in the smart fortwo electric drive in any way; there
is just as much interior and luggage compartment space as in a smart
fortwo with a combustion engine.
Powerful drive
A 30 kW magneto-electric
motor is installed at the rear of the new smart fortwo electric
drive and reacts immediately and without delay. Powerful torque of
120 Newtonmetres is immediately available. This results in a
surprising amount of power when pulling away. The smart fortwo
electric drive accelerates from 0 - 60 km/h in 6.5 seconds – just as
quickly as a petrol model which it initially leaves behind it. Its
maximum speed has been deliberately limited to 100 km/h, a suitable
speed for the city. Thanks to the power characteristic of the
electric motor, the smart fortwo electric drive needs just one
single fixed gear ratio. There is no need for any gear changing – a
major advantage in dense city traffic. To reverse, the engine's
direction of rotation changes.
The second generation
smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a lithium-ion battery from
Tesla Motors Inc. with capacity of 14 kWh. It is simple to charge at
any fused 220 Volt socket.
A fully charged battery is sufficient for up to 135 kilometres of
driving fun (NEDC). This range is more than enough for city traffic
as studies have shown that cars drive an average of 30 - 40
kilometres per day in towns and cities. For this, the vehicle only
needs to be charged for three hours. Plugging the car in overnight
will fully recharge the battery.
Electronics optimise the battery
charge status and power consumption
Special electronics
ensure that all is well with the battery. The electronics also
monitor the charging process and control the capacity display.The
vehicle's power electronics supply the electrical system with
electric current from the battery via a DC/DC converter. In
addition, they also control the heating and air conditioning, for
example, to minimise the strain on the battery. Clever drivers can
air condition their smart fortwo electric drive in advance as long
as their vehicle is being charged at home - the long-standing dream
of stationary cooling becomes a reality! No other car offers this
comfortable option.
The new second generation smart fortwo electric drive is based on
the smart fortwo coupé/cabrio passion. As well as air conditioning
with automatic temperature control all the equipment features of the
popular passion equipment line are included. In addition to the
battery indicator, an ammeter shows the consumption and the
recuperated energy.
Very low costs
Based on German
electricity prices it costs approximately two euros to drive the
smart fortwo electric drive for 100 kilometres (even cheaper with
off-peak electricity). This is less than the price of two litres of
petrol. Electric power is much cheaper in lots of countries. The
maintenance costs are considerably lower than those of a smart with
a combustion engine as the battery, motor and other components of
the electric drive are maintenance-free.
In addition to the low
running costs, there are further cost advantages in lots of
countries and cities. For example, drivers of a smart fortwo
electric drive are entitled to national subsidies, tax advantages or
exemption from local toll charges such as the city centre congestion
charge in London.
smart fortwo electric drive in
major cities in Europe and the USA
From the end of 2009 the
smart fortwo electric drive will be delivered to selected leasing
customers. Leases will be offered for a period of four years and
60,000 kilometres. The first vehicles are destined for the
"e-mobility Berlin" project . Here, in cooperation with the energy
provider RWE and with the support of the German government and the
city of Berlin Daimleris creating the conditions for running
battery-driven vehicles with no local emissions.This includes
setting up a network of electricity charging stations that enable
intelligent communication between electric vehicles and the power
network so that the battery can be charged when electricity is
cheapest.
Further vehicles of the
new generation smart fortwo electric drive will take to the roads of
Hamburg, Paris, Rome, Milan, Pisa, Madridand they will also be
deployed in further projects in Europe. Some of the models will also
go to cities in the USA.
There is already a very
lively demand for the smart fortwo electric drive, and from 2012 it
will be produced in large volumes as a normal part of the smart
range and sold via the smart dealer network. This underlines the
pioneering role of the car brand on the way to attractive individual
mobility with zero local emissions in cities and urban population
centres.
