By Mercedes Benz

The smart electric drive will celebrate its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show and U.S. premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The smart fortwo coupe electric drive will launch in the U.S. by spring 2017 and the smart fortwo cabrio electric drive by summer 2017.

The new smart electric car makes opting into electric mobility more attractive than ever, combining overall agility with emission-free driving as an ideal combination for urban mobility. The smart fortwo electric drive is now available on the new-generation smart platform in both the smart fortwo coupe and cabrio models and, for the first time, in the smart forfour (not available in the U.S.).

With this next generation, smart will be the only car manufacturer worldwide to offer its entire model range with both combustion engines and pure battery-electric drive.

“The smart is the ideal city car, and with electric drive it becomes a little bit more perfect,” says Annette Winkler, Head of smart.

“This is why we will soon be offering our entire range – smart fortwo, smart cabrio and even our smart forfour – as all-electric versions. Together with lots of smart fans and enthusiastic drivers of the predecessor generations, we are looking forward to the unique driving fun offered by the new smart electric drive at very attractive prices, especially in countries where there is a buyer’s premium.”

The most important information at a glance:

smart is the only car manufacturer worldwide to offer its entire model range with both combustion engines and pure battery-electric drive.
The smart fortwo cabrio ED is the only electric cabriolet on the market.
With 118 lb-ft torque and 80 hp, the electric car boasts exceedingly agile acceleration.
The fully charged battery has sufficient power to cover between approximately 70-80 miles (112-128km), more than enough in urban areas for which the smart was tailor-made. Confirmed U.S. range will be announced at launch.
With the high-performance on-board charger, the smart electric drive can be charged in half the time as before (U.S. preliminary new generation charge time: 2.5 hours / previous generation charge time: 5.5 hours)

smart electric drive: agile, quiet and emission-free urban driving

The driving characteristics are as agile and lively as ever. The ultra-small turning circle also contributes to this, and at 22.8 feet for the two-seater it corresponds precisely to that of its sibling with conventional drive. Electric driving at smart offers maximum options for customization with regard to colors and optional equipment due to exclusive options and tridion paint colors offered on the electric drive model.

World premiere of next generation smart electric drive: Electrification of all smart models

Charging time is an important factor for electric vehicle customers and the new smart electric drive also boasts major improvements here. All models have a new, powerful on-board charger as a standard feature. In the U.S., charging time is an estimated 2.5 hours – twice as fast as the predecessor.

The smart fortwo electric drive models are series produced at smart’s Hambach plant. The smart is equipped with a battery from the Daimler subsidiary Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE. The company based in Kamenz, Saxony has been building the electric heart of the smart electric drive since 2012.

An 80 hp electric motor is situated at the rear of the smart electric drive and transmits its power via a constant ratio to the wheels. Powerful torque of 118 lb-ft is immediately available from a standstill, a 23% increase over the 96 lb-ft offered by the previous generation smart ED. The electric drive has a range of approximately 70-80 miles – ideal for emission-free mobility in urban areas. The maximum speed is electronically limited to 81 mph to maximize the range. U.S. range and overall electric motor specifications will be announced at the time of launch.

Thanks to the power characteristics of the electric motor, the smart needs just one single fixed gear ratio. There is no need for any gear changing – a major advantage in dense city traffic. To reverse, the engine’s direction of rotation changes.