2011 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive – First Drive Review

2011 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive – First Drive Review «

2011 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive – First Drive Review

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SpecificationsVEHICLE TYPE: rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door hatchback or convertible

LEASE TERMS: 48 months at $599 a month

ENGINE TYPE: AC permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor

Power (SAE net): 40 hp
Torque (SAE net): 88.5 lb-ft

TRANSMISSION: 1-speed direct drive

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 73.5 in Length: 106.1 in
Width: 61.4 in Height: 60.7 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 2150 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 14.4 sec
Top speed (governor limited): 62 mph

The Smart Fortwo electric drive is not going to be a geopolitical game changer. It’s not even going to change neighborhood energy policies. That’s because the initial run of this vehicle is limited to 1500 cars, only 250 of which are coming to the United States. Even when full-scale production begins in 2012, the volume will be a minuscule fraction of the few-dozen-million or so cars sold each year. But the electric Smart does give us a look at one approach to the electrification of the automobile.

As a diminutive city car (more than three feet shorter than the Mini Cooper), the Fortwo makes sense as a candidate for electric conversion. Why worry about range in a car that isn’t made for road trips in the first place? If it weren’t for the green wheels, mirror caps, and safety cage, the swap from petrol to electrons would be invisible from the outside. The electric motor, the single-speed transmission, and the Tesla-developed battery pack all sit below the rear cargo compartment in the space the 1.0-liter inline-three used to inhabit. Peak output of 40 hp is available in brief spurts; otherwise, there are 27 ponies on tap. Torque is quoted at 88.5 lb-ft, and yeah, that extra half lb-ft is probably worth mentioning.

Smart claims a 0-to-37-mph (60 km/h) time of 6.5 seconds, the same as for the gas version. Top speed is limited to 62 mph, and range is projected to be 84 miles from the 16.5-kWh battery pack. The whole system adds 308 pounds to the Fortwo, for a total of about 2150. Charging occurs through a 3.3-kW onboard charger and the recently adopted SAE J1772 standardized charging socket. With a 220-volt connection, the battery can fully charge in fewer than eight hours