Read this warning to prevent hv battery failure!!

This forum has accumulated enough case studies of high voltage (HV) battery failure if the 12V battery is left dead for more than several days that the following warning is now warranted!

1. Through a defect or design feature in the Smart ED that is not entirely clear, it is now almost certain that if the 12V battery is removed or becomes discharged, and is allowed to stay discharged or removed from the vehicle for an uncertain period of time (on the order of several days to a month) the HV battery will also then totally discharge itself over an unknown time period (probably several days) and be ruined - resulting in a likely total write-off of the car.

2. To prevent this from happening, any Smart ED owner who plans on not operating their ED for 2 weeks or more MUST connect a maintenance charger to the car's 12V battery and double-check the charger's proper operation. IMPORTANT NOTE: Keeping the car connected to a charging station or the car's wall socket charging adapter is NOT, repeat NOT a substitute for this measure. It will NOT keep the 12V battery charged!

3. Consider running a pair of charging wires (16 gauge or so) from the 12V battery terminals to an appropriate location under the service flap for easy 12V battery charging.

4. Connecting the car to charging station is only needed of the car will be subject to temperatures lower than -20C (-4F) or above 40C (104F) otherwise, it is best to store the car with the HV pack at an indicated state of charge of 80 percent. But ALWAYS keep a 12V charger connected to the 12V battery.