A colleague was only saying the other day "I'd be really interested in an electric Smart if they did it in a cabrio". Well, now I know they do.
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Smart EV (or ED)
- Thread starter malcolm
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- Electric Vehicles
The EPA has given the ForTwo ED a combined range of 68 miles. I'm really interested in this car as its the only EV in my price range (and I've always liked the ForTwo). However, my normal commute is 22.5miles each way, with about 30-40% of that stop-and-go and the rest is exurb highway (about ten miles and ten traffic lights) max speed of 60mph. That should give me enough range with some margin, but is it enough margin? How about after five years of battery degradation?
There are a couple parking spots at work that are close to 120v outlets, so I could grab a charge if I had to, but I'd rather not have to. In a real pinch there are some public chargers within a 20 minute walk.
Should be no problem! I test drove the Smart ED for 3 days and had allways more than 100km (or around 60-70miles) range on one charge. highway & city driving mixed...
We had our Portland driving event this weekend and I took one out for a spin this afternoon. It's very basic. Cute, tiny, very efficient, but not as refined or peppy as our LEAF, and just not even close to our new Model S. I'm amazed you can get upwards of 80miles out of such a tiny battery (17.9 kWh or something?) and I really like the fabric top. For a little city car, it's pretty appealing! I am, however, very happy with our current EVs. I'm hoping the BMW i3 will be a worthy successor to the LEAF when the lease is up.
forgot about this lol but the test drive was disappointing, literally drove a block with traffic, really got absolutely no feel of the car, there was barely any regen when i let off but the acceleration was very smooth (punched it when i pulled out cuz i knew i wouldnt get to do it again) and zippy (compared to my ice smart)
but tomorrow im going to the smart dealer in oxnard to take a REAL test drive in a electric smart, they just got 6 delivered this week so looking forward to that
will report back later tomorrow :smile:
and there's a few people that have smart ed's check out what their saying about them here smart fortwo Electric Drive - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum
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just got back from the test drive and i have to say im impressed! coming from a 08 gas smart owner the electric is practically the same except it has better tires which offer a smoother and softer ride. It has a really nice amount of torque, very fun accelerating from 0-40 but once you get around 40 its starts to accelerate slower. Getting on the freeway really is no problem but the top speed is roughly around 65-70 with the pedal down, the gas smart accelerates faster at higher speeds but the electric is compensable. the guy said that regen paddle shifters are only available in europe but on the smart website if you go and build your smart they are optional for $190. The regen on the smart is alright when deaccelerating from higher speeds but their really isnt much regen at lower speeds such as 30 and below, you have to really press down on the brake to slow it down.
Started at 45%, 2 people in the car, had the ac on the whole drive, drove about 6 miles, freeway and streets, pedal mashing, arrived back at the dealer with 42%, which surprised me
had to make a stop at the gas station :biggrin:
overall i really enjoyed the drive, would consider getting electric to replace my ice no doubt
Started at 45%, 2 people in the car, had the ac on the whole drive, drove about 6 miles, freeway and streets, pedal mashing, arrived back at the dealer with 42%, which surprised me
had to make a stop at the gas station :biggrin:
overall i really enjoyed the drive, would consider getting electric to replace my ice no doubt
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therealmach3
Member
My girlfriend and I were eating lunch on Saturday and I always point out the Smart cars every time I see them, because they just crack me up. Not in a bad way ... those tiny little cars just make me smile 
After I had pointed out three cars within minutes, I realized that they were doing the Smartcarfundrive test drive tour across the street. I dragged her across the street and made her wait while I test drove one. Smart had a huge setup ... around a dozen Smart cars, a large trailer with demos and registration etc. and a separate truck that displayed charging options and equipment. There were at least 15 people (mostly young promo "girls") working the event.
I only drove the EV, which was exactly the kind of car you would expect. Small, but surprisingly roomy. Two seats and almost no room behind the seats at all. I guess I might be able to fit 4-5 grocery bags, but that's about it. The car drove well and had reasonable pickup. The interior was rather spartan (to say it mildly). It actually reminded me of a 1970s VW Beetle on the inside.
The sales guy that drove with me had to pull out his hand written notes when I started asking about battery and charging etc. (he apparently works for Mercedes and was doing this for the tour as a "special assignment"). He told me that the battery was 17kWh (it's actually 17.6) and had a range of 68 miles. He also told me that it would take about 16 hours to charge in a regular outlet. I confirmed that charge time on their website. If my math is right, that charge time is almost 20% less efficient than on the Model S on 12A charging. Also, the car is rated for 107 MPGe, which surprised me. The car is tiny and only weighs about 2,100 lbs. With the 60 kWh Model S weighing 2.5x it is rated for 95 MPGe.
I love that Mercedes is pushing the Smart Car the way they are and I think it is a great attempt at putting a low-cost option on the streets. For me personally, the Model S is a significantly better value even at the significantly higher price point. "Value" doesn't solve the problem though if a $60k+ car is not an option, so let's hope that Smart actually sells some of these.
Not exactly a giant car: http://instagram.com/p/Zyey6opZaJ/
After I had pointed out three cars within minutes, I realized that they were doing the Smartcarfundrive test drive tour across the street. I dragged her across the street and made her wait while I test drove one. Smart had a huge setup ... around a dozen Smart cars, a large trailer with demos and registration etc. and a separate truck that displayed charging options and equipment. There were at least 15 people (mostly young promo "girls") working the event.I only drove the EV, which was exactly the kind of car you would expect. Small, but surprisingly roomy. Two seats and almost no room behind the seats at all. I guess I might be able to fit 4-5 grocery bags, but that's about it. The car drove well and had reasonable pickup. The interior was rather spartan (to say it mildly). It actually reminded me of a 1970s VW Beetle on the inside.
The sales guy that drove with me had to pull out his hand written notes when I started asking about battery and charging etc. (he apparently works for Mercedes and was doing this for the tour as a "special assignment"). He told me that the battery was 17kWh (it's actually 17.6) and had a range of 68 miles. He also told me that it would take about 16 hours to charge in a regular outlet. I confirmed that charge time on their website. If my math is right, that charge time is almost 20% less efficient than on the Model S on 12A charging. Also, the car is rated for 107 MPGe, which surprised me. The car is tiny and only weighs about 2,100 lbs. With the 60 kWh Model S weighing 2.5x it is rated for 95 MPGe.
I love that Mercedes is pushing the Smart Car the way they are and I think it is a great attempt at putting a low-cost option on the streets. For me personally, the Model S is a significantly better value even at the significantly higher price point. "Value" doesn't solve the problem though if a $60k+ car is not an option, so let's hope that Smart actually sells some of these.
Not exactly a giant car: http://instagram.com/p/Zyey6opZaJ/
My girlfriend and I were eating lunch on Saturday and I always point out the Smart cars every time I see them, because they just crack me up. Not in a bad way ... those tiny little cars just make me smile
I only drove the EV, which was exactly the kind of car you would expect. Small, but surprisingly roomy. Two seats and almost no room behind the seats at all. I guess I might be able to fit 4-5 grocery bags, but that's about it. The car drove well and had reasonable pickup. The interior was rather spartan (to say it mildly). It actually reminded me of a 1970s VW Beetle on the inside.
The sales guy that drove with me had to pull out his hand written notes when I started asking about battery and charging etc. (he apparently works for Mercedes and was doing this for the tour as a "special assignment"). He told me that the battery was 17kWh (it's actually 17.6) and had a range of 68 miles. He also told me that it would take about 16 hours to charge in a regular outlet. I confirmed that charge time on their website. If my math is right, that charge time is almost 20% less efficient than on the Model S on 12A charging. Also, the car is rated for 107 MPGe, which surprised me. The car is tiny and only weighs about 2,100 lbs. With the 60 kWh Model S weighing 2.5x it is rated for 95 MPGe.
I love that Mercedes is pushing the Smart Car the way they are and I think it is a great attempt at putting a low-cost option on the streets. For me personally, the Model S is a significantly better value even at the significantly higher price point. "Value" doesn't solve the problem though if a $60k+ car is not an option, so let's hope that Smart actually sells some of these.
Not exactly a giant car: http://instagram.com/p/Zyey6opZaJ/
trust me you can fit more than 4-5 grocery bags in the back + if you are by yourself you have the passenger area for more storage
the smarts interior is very nice too, i posted a pic on another forum of my interior without mentioning what car i had and all of the guys were asking what kind of car that was and i when i told them it was a smart they were very surprised because they said it looks really nice, and very roomy too, about the size of a suv
on a 240 volt the car charges in about 6 hours and even less time from say 20% - 80% so a 240 is a must
i'd say the smart ed is the perfect commuter/city car and is a must have, because what type of commuter really needs a front end, rear end, long body and 3 useless seats? :wink:
and the 68 miles is only a estimate, do not always go by what they say or EPA estimates, because what is that 68 miles based off? running the ac full blast? constant pedal mashing? majority freeway driving with little city driving? instead you should look at what some of the real smart ed owners are reporting, and a lot of them are getting 70-80 miles on a charge based on their driving styles, and if you have the regen paddles it will apparently greatly increase regen strength depending on how you set it so more miles back but for some reason no one seems to have the regen paddles in the US yet they are available and it sounds like it would be a major key part in driving this car
so smart needs to get this figured out, here's a quote of how the regen paddles work(not my photo and not me in the pic) this is the smart ed i want to get, grey matte is an amazing color, and the led daytime running lights are a must, after seeing a few of the colors at the dealer this is by far the nicest color combo available, looks even better in person.
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therealmach3
Member
I wonder if my vanity would allow me to feel comfortable in that car even on my short 1 mile commute to work. Don't disagree that there are "three useless seats" in a larger car, but for me at least the Smart was a little too small. That said, I love the concept.
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