Smart EV (or ED)

TEG said:

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100 miles of range is a short distance...I hope that is increased in the production version. I know the plaque mentions cost, but UGH, that is a fraction of the Roadster. What gives? Why not put a different type of battery in it (ie Zebra?) then?

Don't forget the target market for Smat cars. These are not longdistance travelers but city cars. 100 miles a day in a city where average speed is what 15mph?

100 miles a day is twice as far as most people drive. Why pay for extra capacity you don't really need? Not to mention there just isn't much room in a smart for batteries, I'm surprised they got that much out of it.

I'm surprised they got that much out of it.

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That is because of lower weight, much lower average speed and stop 'n' go driving that benefits from regeneration. I doubt this 100 miles range is by EPA highway rating. It doesn't make sense to use it for this kind of car.

OT: Hey, any update on you electric 6-wheeler? I'd live to see another blog post about how it is behaving under real use

The AMPhibian is still "plugging" along as intended, doing it's job hauling wood and stones. I probably won't be doing much else to it until I get my Fiero conversion going.

City Brights: Paul Saffo : Tesla's surprise: an electric screamer for the rest of us!

(Perhaps a side business is in order, retrofitting Smarts with the leftover 1.0 drivetrains?)


When I got in and they turned it on a VDS came on showing a picture of a Roadster.
My first thought was Star Trek "Spock's Brain"... "I think I am a Roadster but I have no idea I am attached to a Smart car!"

Some photos and a video I took last Wednesday.




Notice the Tesla charge port, DT1.0 shift gate, and VDS. Looks like there's an emergency stop button as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mVrEdHWqXU

Dan mentions the car is locked in 1st, but from the context I think he meant to say locked in second.

ETA: Another interior shot taken at SpaceX

doug said:

Dan mentions the car is locked in 1st, but from the context I think he meant to say locked in second.

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Yeah - I think Aaron told me he thought it was locked in 2nd. Anyways it scoots way better than a stock Smart. Hopefully the Daimler motor still has some decent 'pep' to it.

doug said:

...Looks like there's an emergency stop button as well...

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Yeah, someone bumped that before my ride and the ESS & PEM shut down. It took like 2 minutes for it to reboot before we were 'ready to roll'.

Here's a small set of Tesla Smart EV photos. Smart EV - a set on Flickr


The Tesla battery pack for the Smart EV:

from this side you can see the coolant lines.


on this side you can see the data connector, "assembled in USA" sticker, and the DC contacts.

Do we know kWh for that pack?
And does it limit the motor power output?
In other words can the PEM send 185kW to the motor from the Smart small pack?


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By the way, one of the Roadsters at the event had a license plate "185KW".

Yes that's all very well but can it...

vfx said:

Yes that's all very well but can it...

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Possibly not, but it does attract the ladies ... in droves!



(nice body color, btw! ... of the car...)

Can it do this?

Videos' great.

I have always loved the tiny car beating the big car concept (I know, everyone likes an underdog). White Zombie is sort of in that world but it's more of an "average Joe" beats Goliath.

Some day the will be enough scrap Roadsters and Model S' etc. to buy their powertrains for insertion into all sorts of vehicles.

(including cupcakes!)

Some of doug's pictures and video of the Smart at the Menlo Park Model S event got picked up and properly by AutoblogGreen.

VIDEO: Driving a Tesla-powered Smart

Our friend Doug, of Tesla Motors Club fame, was at the event and went for a ride in the diminutive one, armed with a video camera to record the ride, the results of which we are happy to share with you

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Nice. I wish they could put those into production just like it is. It is plenty quick with that old Roadster drive-train.

Agreed. The Smart + Roadster DT is freaking awesome!