Smart has announced plans for three electric and hybrid versions of its Fortwo, one of which will make production and two of which are possibilities. While Smarts are efficient vehicles to begin with, the new Fortwo equipped with micro hybrid drive, a system that turns off the motor when the Smart is not moving, will go on sale at the end of this year. The other two systems are more aggressive and haven’t officially been announced, but their introduction looks likely.
The micro hybrid drive equipped Fortwo 1 liter achieves about 54 miles per gallon in the European combined cycle. That’s up from 48 without the engine stop-start function. A belt-driven starter generator provides electrical power for the Smart when the motor has stopped. Like other hybrids, the Smart is designed to power up with little hesitation.
The other two eco-friendly Smarts are more aggressive: a zero-emission electric Smart and a full hybrid diesel or gas Smart. The zero-emission model is all electric and is said to travel up to 115 km on a charge. Smart claims it will run to 60 km/h in 5.7 seconds.
The hybrid Fortwo has been developed in both gas and diesel models. No specifications for the gas model have been released, but the diesel averages about 81 miles per gallon and produces one of the lowest emissions of any vehicle on the planet.
No pricing has been introduced for the start-stop Smart and no production plans have been introduced for the electric or hybrid Smarts. The plan is for select Penske Auto Group dealers to begin selling the traditional gas Smarts in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2008. Smart hasn’t announced whether the start-stop model will be available in the United States. Since the current diesel model won’t pass U.S. or Canadian emissions standards, Smart is holding off until the introduction of the Bluetec diesel model expected in 2009.
07/09, 11:35 AM
posted by:
global_lightning
I wonder of any of these hybrid models involve a big wind-up key that tenses a coil spring…
07/09, 11:48 AM
posted by:
55amg
i like the electric
07/09, 12:44 PM
posted by:
TOZO
There’s really no need for something already so fuel efficient to have electrics and hybrids, but no harm done I guess, if they really want to produce it. Earth’s better off.
07/09, 1:07 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
its perfect for the gore family.
07/09, 1:07 PM
posted by:
buenos
Most Smart’s are used as urban runabouts (though I have seen a few doing not too badly on the highway). A purely electric Smart would make sense in the Urban environment, where most trips are short. Would be handy to have a zero-emissions vehicle in a place like Toronto with a lovely layer of smog hanging over the city today.
07/09, 7:33 PM
posted by:
Deanster
The hybrid model is pointless. What’s 48 mpg, what’s 54…no one is going to reap that reward in real-world driving.
The electric version is PERFECT. That kind of performance, 115 km on a charge – those are the kinds of numbers people in NYC or a similar dense metropolis want. I’d be interested in that…
07/10, 1:36 AM
posted by:
LP640
the current smarts achieve good MPG so this will definetly improve it however it will take more than that to get me interested in one of these little toys
07/10, 1:50 AM
posted by:
Burmanesski
O great a car that holds two people and a golf bag how use full is that. just let me say this what is truly more efficient. You have ten friends that would like to go to the next city over and it is 60m(100.7km)away. Would you take a smart car and make ten trips there and back to get you friends there or would you use a big van and drive them all there in one go there and back. you see put the smart car in a surtain position and it is no logger efficient.
07/10, 5:47 AM
posted by:
Civpilot
Electric is all very well.. IF… the car is charged from totally clean and renewable sources (i would buy one in an instant if that were the case). If its just the normal “plug it into the mains” charging system then it is mearly moving the problem from one place to another. And power stations (that generate the lovely Electricity that the greens want us to use) are FAR more polluting to the environment than transportation. Then of course you must also factor in the amount of pollution created producing the batteries that go into the electric cars and the amount of emissions created when you finally try to recycle it.
The belt drive hybrid sounds the cleanest, but does it feature extra batteries?
Not against “green” transport.. but understand what the term means.. and an Electric car is not anywhere near as “green” as the tree huggers want you to beleive when you work out how much Electricity you end up using just to charge the thing up every 115km. Yes, your car puts out zero emissions, but the power station that charges it does not, it is far, far worse.
07/10, 1:17 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
im sure there are tree huggers with solar panels and wind generators that will want one. me, hell no. if i was forced to drive one i would burn a tire every day i got home just to make sure i pollute something.