Coventry City a metropolitan district in central England is noted for its automobile production and the Benedictine abbey Lady Godiva and her husband founded there in 1043. However, it's now distinguished as having the first all electric Smart.

For the good folks of Coventry City Santa came early!

Their Smart is the first of 100 cars to be delivered as part of a Great Britain market experiment for the launch of a completely electric model of the trendy America bound (gas version) 2008 Smart Fortwo. These EV Smart cars are leased to selected UK corporations.

The Smart EV produces no carbon dioxide, unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide or any harmful substance. In reality it emits nothing at all. The car has a top speed of 60 mph, goes from 0-30 mph in 6.5 seconds and has a range of up to 70 miles per charge.

The EV Smart preserves all the safety equipment you find in any gas powered Smart. The Smart EV comes with has ESP, ABS brakes and two airbags. The Smart EV is exempt from excise duty and congestion charges.

In 2000 officials from the State of Georgia joined up with eMotion Mobility, then a unit of the DaimlerChrysler Corporation and announced plans to develop an electric-powered version of the Smart City Coupe.

Atlanta-based eMotion was going to place electric cars at transit stations, businesses and shopping centers to provide commuters with an innovative mobility program linked to Atlanta transit and travel.

Their car sharing program was designed to provide MARTA rail users with access to eMotion Mobility zero emission smart cars parked at MARTA rail stations. Subscribers to the program were to be issued "smart keys" and identification to allow instant car reservations on the Internet and through eMotion Mobility's call center.

However, in January of 2004 eMotion Mobility LLC, DaimlerChrysler Corp and the state of Georgia closed down operations and moved on to greener pastures. Read More

Mercedes-Benz has delivered the first of 100 electric Smart ForTwos to fleet customers in the UK. Coventry City Council will be using the electric Smart in its fleet.

Rated 41 hp with a speed of 0-37 miles per hour in 5.7 secs, with a maximum speed of 70 mph and a range of 70 miles per charge the EV Smart will fit most folk’s needs.

As far back as 2002 Daimler-Chrysler shipped a Smart Car to the UK; to be electrified by Zytek Electric Vehicles Ltd. Zytek had converted a Lotus Elise to Electric back in 1997 which provided a foundation for a high performance electric coupe.

Bill Gibson, then chairman of the Zytek group stated: "With the Smart, we have a sporty, fun city car that also happens to give zero emissions.

Smart is using the same battery the first Th!nk City cars used.

Indiana Live an all new Indiana casino will be giving away an electric Smart Car. Winners must be present when their names are announced to carry home the prizes.

Hybrid Technologies has sold several all electric Smart cars this year. These all-electric Smart cars cost $35,000 and there is no shortage of customers. Hybrid Technologies as been filling the disparity concerning the big boys and the hobbyists and has been paving the way for the release of the all electric Smart Fortwo for several years.

Back in 1997 the Swatchmobile made headlines all over Europe and was to be a compact 2 seat hybrid.

Coventry City Council takes delivery of an early Christmas present this year, in the form of a fully electric smart. The iconic car is the first of 100 cars to be delivered as part of a UK-based market trial for the introduction of a fully electric version of the popular two-seater (smart ed). The car will be made available on a lease arrangement to selected UK corporate customers.

It sets a new benchmark in the electric vehicle sector; it has 30kW output and a top speed of 60 mph. It offers nippy in-town performance with 0-30 mph in 6.5 seconds. With a range of up to 70 miles, the smart ed is exempt from vehicle excise duty and congestion charge.

Coventry City Council will be using the electric smart within their fleet of pool vehicles. This facility allows employees to leave their cars at home when they travel to work, but to still have access to a vehicle for business journeys.

Dermot Kelly, Managing Director Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “This market trial is an important part of our commitment to sustainable mobility and the first car to be delivered is a significant milestone for smart and Mercedes-Benz Cars.”

Cllr Gary Ridley, Cabinet member for Climate Change, Housing and Sustainability said, “The Council is proud to be the first owner of the new electric smart and is glad to be part of the drive for new cleaner and greener technologies in cars. To make its running costs even greener, the electricity used to recharge the car is from renewable resources. As the biggest employer in the city, we should be leading by example and encouraging other businesses to think about their carbon footprint and their impact on their environment while carrying out their day to day activities.”

The smart EV emits no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, particulate matter or any harmful substance – in fact it emits nothing at all. It retains all the safety equipment you would find on a regular smart, so unlike other electric cars, a smart ed has ESP, ABS brakes two airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners.

In terms of practicality, the car has its own charger on board, which means it can be plugged directly into any UK mains 3 pin plug socket to recharge. A meter on the dash swivels through 90 degrees so it is possible to see the state of battery charge.