Brooklyn, New York — We came here to drive the smart fortwo electric drive, in preparation for its North American launch this October.
Actually it’s not so much a launch, as the start of another phase of testing, a North American one, before serial production of the smart fortwo electric drive starts in earnest in the spring of 2012.
What happens this fall is 295 units will be leased to very specific North American “test fleet” customers — 250 for the U.S., 45 for Canada.
Easy electric transition
For more details on the North American test fleet see the article, Testing, testing, one fortwo electric drive.
Because right now, we can’t wait to tell you how cool it was to drive an electric smart car around the streets of Brooklyn.
The cars were waiting for us, after we traveled from New Jersey to Brooklyn by water taxi. Many people commute this way, and I highly recommend it — fantastic views of the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Predictably, we camera-packing journalists took pictures. Too many, probably.
If the cars didn’t have special green and white paint, and “electric drive” broadcast in big letters on the side panels, you wouldn’t even know that these particular smarts are veering off to an electric future — they look identical to the second-generation smart cars on which they are based. In fact, they have identical interior and luggage space.
This is because integration of electric components was planned at an early stage. The Tesla-developed lithium-ion battery is mounted under the floor, between the axles. The 30 kW electric motor sits in the back, exactly where the gas engine and transaxle usually reside.
Inside there are two “electric” gauges sitting high on the dash; one to tell you what percentage charge is your battery; the other to signal consumption rate.
Actually it’s not so much a launch, as the start of another phase of testing, a North American one, before serial production of the smart fortwo electric drive starts in earnest in the spring of 2012.
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| The cars were waiting for us, after we traveled from New Jersey to Brooklyn by water taxi. (Photo: Mike Goetz/Auto123.com) |
What happens this fall is 295 units will be leased to very specific North American “test fleet” customers — 250 for the U.S., 45 for Canada.
Easy electric transition
For more details on the North American test fleet see the article, Testing, testing, one fortwo electric drive.
Because right now, we can’t wait to tell you how cool it was to drive an electric smart car around the streets of Brooklyn.
The cars were waiting for us, after we traveled from New Jersey to Brooklyn by water taxi. Many people commute this way, and I highly recommend it — fantastic views of the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty. Predictably, we camera-packing journalists took pictures. Too many, probably.
If the cars didn’t have special green and white paint, and “electric drive” broadcast in big letters on the side panels, you wouldn’t even know that these particular smarts are veering off to an electric future — they look identical to the second-generation smart cars on which they are based. In fact, they have identical interior and luggage space.
This is because integration of electric components was planned at an early stage. The Tesla-developed lithium-ion battery is mounted under the floor, between the axles. The 30 kW electric motor sits in the back, exactly where the gas engine and transaxle usually reside.
Inside there are two “electric” gauges sitting high on the dash; one to tell you what percentage charge is your battery; the other to signal consumption rate.
 |
| If the cars didn’t have “electric drive” broadcast in big letters on the side panels, you wouldn’t even know that these particular smarts are veering off to an electric future. (Photo: Mike Goetz/Auto123.com) |