Specification and pricing has been announced for the latest electric vehicles available in Europe – the smart electric drive range.
Available in three models: fortwo, fortwo cabrio and forfour, the latest additions to the city car range make smart the only brand to offers all its models with either combustion engines or full electric drivetrains.
All smart electric drive models are powered by an 81hp/60kW electric motor that turns the rear wheels via a single-speed gearbox. The electric drive has a range of up to 161km.
The standard 7 kW on-board charger can charge the electric drive in 2.5 hours using a 16 A charger or six hours via a standard three-pin household socket (20 per cent to 100 per cent).
All models are electronically limited to 130kp/h and are said to travel from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds.
Specification for the electric drive range has been based on the petrol prime model, which include heated front seats, cruise control, leather upholstery and 15-inch alloy wheels.
Electric drive models also come with rear parking sensors, smart media system with satellite navigation, and an acoustic ambient sound generator - which creates an artificial engine sound when the vehicle is moving at low speeds for pedestrians.
Options for the new smart electric drive range include a premium plus equipment line, which includes ambient lighting; centre armrest; LED headlights and tail lights; front fog lamps; automatic lights and wipers; and rear view camera.
The electric drive design package adds a tridion cell and mirror caps in electric green; body panels in either black or white with matching grille; 16-inch alloys; and ‘ED’ decals in grey.
Customers can also access the smart control app, which allows the user to view the vehicle’s charging status, and pre-set the climate control via a smartphone.
Electric drive prices start at £20,920 (NZ$36,840) for the smart fortwo electric drive, the forfour electric drive is £21,415 (NZ$37,700) and the fortwo cabriolet electric drive starts at £23,060 (NZ$40,600).
There are no plans to offer the smart electric drive range new in New Zealand.
