Daimler to mass produce Smart electric drive

Aug 24, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Stuttgart - Daimler is planning to mass-produce the third generation Smart fortwo electric drive early next year and is planning to sell it worldwide, the car maker has announced.

'With the new generation the frequently cited 'electric era' has finally arrived,' said Dr. Annette Winkler, head of Smart, adding that with the new model extensive customer feedback had been brought in from various electric mobility projects.

The latest Smart E-Vehicle is fitted with a 55 kW electric motor with a top speed of 120 km/h, putting it on par with the combustion-engined Smart. The range is at 140 kilometres in city traffic. Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h is in less than 13 seconds.

In addition to the higher battery capacity, improvements have been made to the efficiency of the drive system, resulting in a greater range. When completely empty it takes a maximum of eight hours to fully charge the battery at a household socket or charging station on the electricity systems of most countries, according to Daimler.

However it's possible to equip the vehicle with a quick-charging function. The 22 kW onboard charger enables a completely empty battery to be fully charged in less than an hour. A power cable is needed for this which is used to connect the vehicle to a public quick-charging station or a wall box at home or work.

Exterior changes to the vehicle include a larger radiator grille featuring the electric drive logo, LED daytime driving lights below the headlamps, wider door sills and several modifications to the rear.

Standard equipment furthermore includes electric windows and electrically adjustable door mirrors, a leather steering wheel, leather gear knob, the entry line radio, power steering, 9-spoke alloy wheels and a luggage compartment cover.