When Mercedes brought out the Smart Fortwo petrol car, it was meant to be easily convertible to battery power, but now there’s the already-converted version: the Smart Fortwo EV (electric vehicle).
It’s being test driven in its ‘natural habitat’ of urban streets and will be on the open market in 2012. Mercedes is quoting a base price of £28,000, but there will be some extra incentives, including a £5,000 grant from the government towards the purchase.
The Smart Fortwo EV is powered by a lithium-ion battery that can be fully topped up in about two hours, or overnight if it’s totally flat. The tested range is around 84 miles, and it accelerates from zero to 60km/hr in about 6.5 seconds. Test drivers say that this EV is a cinch to drive, without the sluggish gear shift of the petrol-driven version, just a smooth one-gear acceleration.
The advantages of driving such a compact and manoeuvrable vehicle in the city are obvious: you can zip into mini-spaces between cars, and parking is almost a no-brainer.
You’re also avoiding the congestion charges, which can amount to fairly significant savings, maybe £1,800 per year. Mercedes says the savings in petrol is something like £800 per year, as charging the battery only costs about £2. Hopefully with the electric trend on the rise, there will be a corresponding increase in the number of charge stations.
Another feature of this Smart EV that is going to excite a lot of customers is an app for the iPhone that gives you readings on battery charge, range and the location of the nearest charge points. It also has built-in satnav, and the sound system is above average.
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