Smart Car Blog

The Smart Fortwo, under the umbrella of Daimler, has not made a profit since its birth in 1998. It is still trying to convince consumers to convert into their Smart way of owning and driving a car. The attempt of the company has led to several crashes to a lot of spending. Through the years, electric cars have been making some major strides. The design of the Smart Fortwo cars, for example, is perfect for zig zagging through traffic and parking on tight spaces.

The transition of the American market though to the Smart Fortwo vehicles as forecasted before by experts in Germany. Even young buyers still clamor for vehicles that have more space and carry a good amount of luggage.

The company is currently testing its third generation Electric Drive Smart Fortwo. You cannot see a lot of changes with the exterior but the engine had major revisions. The new Smart Fortwo ride now has a 47-hp cruising output and a max output of around 74 horses compared to the previous generation’s 27 hp and max of 40 hp. The number almost doubled.

The car can accelerate to 60 kilometers an hour in a matter of 4.8 seconds compared to its predecessor that did it in 6.5 seconds.

The new gen Smart Fortwo also dropped the automated transmission that was highly criticized by the press people and consumers. It gets a single-ratio gearbox that smoothly deliver a better accelration in tandem with the electric motor.

The new gen Smart Fortwo ED depends on a 93 lithium ion battery pack made by Li-Tec. The battery is stored under the floor of the vehicle. A single full charge can bring the car up to 90 miles from point A to B. A typical recharging will take an owner around seven hours using a 220 volt outlet with 13 amperes or around six hours when using a plug of 16 amperes. There is no option of a quick charge.

The new vehicle will be formally launched during the auto show in Los Angeles next month. Expect the sticker price to hit the $25,000 mark for the coupe and around $28K for the top down.

Smart ForTwo cars, forttwo, Smart