Smart ForTwo ED coming in 2010

[getsmartusa]

I would be nice if current owners get preference for ordering the new electric version before the general public.

- David -

[pabille]

My original plan was to convert my buddy to ED in five years. The plan might get easier if Daimler offered off-the-shelf conversion parts for internal combustion Smarts.

[cosmart]

Until the manufacturers get together and standardize on batteries, electric cars will remain a niche. If they would standardize on say three battery pack designs, and a design that allows them to be installed and removed from the bottom of the car with a lift, then range is of no more consequence than the size of the gas tank on your current car. Service stations could swap out the old pack and swap in the new in the same amount of time it takes to fill your tank today.

The problem is that batteries are a competitive factor in electric cars. If everyone standardizes on batteries, they have to make their competitive advantage somewhere else. This is basically the way it is today, but to get the manufacturers to agree to standardize on batteries will take government intervention, I am afraid. There is a precedent for this, because fuel is regulated as to octane, purity, pump accuracy, etc.

[SuperGeek]

Betamax vs VHS is a good description of where we are today, and what you describe could improve the current state if we allow for the development of new tech. Beta and VHS couldn't be swapped not only because of the size of the cartridges but also the recording format, proprietary blah blah, etc. Liken the near future vision to ATX vs Mini-ATX (computer motherboard size standards), and you're describing physical layout for installation. Batteries can be shaped, twisted, and crammed into almost anywhere if the creator is provided enough motivation. Encourage them to standardize on the physical layout and you can have an add-on that fits in a trunk or lines the roof, or is embedded into the side panels or lines the undercarriage. Surely we can find somewhere to put them and keep storage space.

You could still upgrade the battery itself from NiCd to NiMH to Mr. Fusion as long as the shape stays the same and it plugs in as a module. Like upgrading a motherboard.

I think the real problem comes in where every car maker changes the shape of their cars every year, and the common ground is pretty limited. So, every hybrid car maker has a monopoly on the electric drive systems. Government intervention could kill off competition and the free-market system, but the barriers to entry are high enough that they should have given more incentives 20 years ago.

[BigWarpGuy]

I think the Smart Hybrid might be intermediate step to the all electric SmartEV. I think another option would be a Smart FCV.

I have a Fuel Cell Group at Yahoo. It is mostly news about fuel cell vehicles (all kinds that I find on the internet).

[BigWarpGuy]

Perhaps an idea of in electric hub motors with a couple of fuel cells by Intelligent Energy would help make an electric Fortwo more feasible?

[Old smart]

Conventional battery manufacturers do work with standardized sizes so there shouldn't be too much cultural shock involved: BCI Battery Group Size Chart. "Group 24" is the commonest battery size.

[mikie]

Originally Posted by getsmartusa

I would be nice if current owners get preference for ordering the new electric version before the general public.

- David -

Put in your order now. You should be first in line to get an ED

[Smart Enuf]

Originally Posted by Old smart

Conventional battery manufacturers do work with standardized sizes so there shouldn't be too much cultural shock involved: BCI Battery Group Size Chart. "Group 24" is the commonest battery size.

Perhaps it's more an issue of needing to standardize battery packs and pack configurations more than the battery size itself. With car manufacturers putting standard sized batteries in non-standardized packs and placing them in non-standardized areas, it becomes impractical to remove them on a routine basis at a service station as was suggested by an earlier post. Removing the customized battery packs from each current electric car effectively becomes a labor-intensive and inefficient process. But standardizing 2-3 battery packs and their locations, including standardized removal points and replacement procedures, would make removal much easier. Alas, it was difficult enough to get them to standardize the plug specs, so a standardized pack may be a long ways off, if ever.

[74AMX304V8]

there are combination solar panels/sun roofs now. the technology has been available to move us towards another form of propulsion for some time, it's all a matter of big business deciding which route to go and on what timetable. check out Tesla Roadster.