Smart’s First US-based EV
What’s the only thing smarter than a SMART car? How about one that is all electric. Well duh! Lucky for us in the United States (and, frankly, all of North America) the electric Smart car has arrived. Maryland resident Mindy Kimball received the first Smart ForTwo EV in the United States. It is one of 250 electric Smart cars we’ll see from the company this year. They are planning a large scale roll out in 2012.
Smart’s leasing a fleet of 250 cars to individuals and corporate fleets as sort of a test run. Full vehicle production is slated for 2012, and pricing has yet to be announced.
“This is a groundbreaking day for smart in the United States,” Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak said in a statement. “We are extremely excited to add the smart fortwo electric drive to the smart product lineup, solidifying our position as a key player in transportation electrification.”
The Smart ForTwo Electric Drive, developed with help from Tesla Motors, has a 40 horsepower electric motor and a 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery.
The battery pack is good for a claimed 98 miles on the LA4 test cycle, but the EPA pegs the real-world figure at 63 miles. It’s good to go in eight hours when plugged into a 220 volt socket. The pack is 80 percent “full” at 3.5 hours.
The Source: CNET
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