|
Page 1 of 2
Smart GmbH the manufacture of the smart fortwo electric drive will roll off the production line at the smart factory in Hambach, France, starting this November. The second generation smart fortwo will be equipped with a ground-breaking and cost-effective lithium-ion battery manufactured by Tesla. Media.daimler.com states the car will be available starting in 2012 to anyone? According to D. Schembri, President, smart USA smart USA will have 300 full electric vehicles available in late 2010 and will go into full series production in 2011. He also adds “haven't figured out exactly how to do the distribution, but they will be for general consumer use.”
There’s rumor of some kind of waiting list? Let’s hope the do a little better with this list and allocating of these electric vehicles than with the 30,000 units they sold in 2008.
Due to many issues, one being the lack of communications, sales have dropped off dramatically for 2009. As well smart USA was offering a $99/month financing as part of the "cash for clunkers" deal.
Causing negative reactions from some after discovering that the $99 a month loan plan had a little sting…at the end of the three years the buyer had a balloon payment of $6,667! Estimates for 2009 are an annual rate of just over 13,000 cars sold.
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 115 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.
Read what the UK smart site tells us about the ED Smart Fortwo:
"We’d like to introduce you to a car that’s designed to bring a breath of fresh air to the streets: the refreshingly new smart electric vehicle – or smart electric drive, as we call it. It’s the natural product of smart’s unswerving commitment to the environment and innovation – not to mention fun.
Think of a smart. Then think of an electric socket concealed behind what used to be the fuel cap. Picture the complete absence of exhaust fumes, so no CO2 emissions from the rear. Close your eyes and hear… no sound at all coming from the engine. Imagine no engine oil, no road tax, and no London congestion charge and you’ll start to get a sense of what really makes the new smart electric drive tick.
Powered solely by electricity, and chargeable from any three-pin socket the smart electric drive can achieve the equivalent of 300 mpg – that amounts to a saving of up to 80% in fuel costs over the already highly economical smart fortwo. The electric drive can travel up to 72 miles between charges, which typically take around 8 hours for a full charge – ideal for charging at work between your morning and evening commutes. If your journey takes you into the capital, you will find free electricity provided by some London boroughs, as well as free or discounted parking. With a top-up charge during the day, the smart electric drive’s daily range weighs in at 100 miles.
What’s more, our electric drive hasn’t had to sacrifice any of the fortwo’s performance or class-leading equipment: expect the full complement of Mercedes-Benz safety features and a powerful Zytek electric motor, electronically-limited top speed of 60 mph. Once it’s up to speed (0-30mph in an impressive 6.5 seconds) the electric drive uses its tiny weight gain to deliver an exciting and stable drive.
Since 2007, we’ve been trialling 100 first generation smart electric drive’s with selected blue chip companies who are happy to meet our requirements to power the cars using only renewable energy sources. When we say zero emissions, we really mean it! Among the partners enrolled in the trial are e-on, Islington and Coventry Councils, Environment Agency, CarbonNeutral Company, EDF Energy, Amey and the Metropolitan Police Service.
All this is in preparation for volume series production from 2012. We have opened applications for the 2010 trial and if interested, you can apply for these by completing our online form. Click here to complete the form.
smart is inviting applications for up to 100 users to participate in ‘electric drive' research trials across the London South East and West Midlands regions, beginning 2010. The research will be conducted using second generation smart electric drive vehicles with new lithium-ion battery technology for a minimum of 12 months and leases will be subsidised by public funds.
The trials are a unique opportunity for users to influence the product development and design process, and will include a focus on domestic recharging behaviours.
So there you have it: a zero emission vehicle that is 100% smart; a car that will save money and the environment."
<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >>
|
