LIVE THE ELECTRIC DREAM – INTRODUCING THE NEWEST INNOVATION FROM smart ~ Auto Car

smart fortwo electric

Heralding the dawn of a new electric era, the new smart fortwo electric drive is now available to purchase for the first time. The much anticipated fully electric version of the iconic, compact two-seater perfectly combines convenience and quality with the first class safety, comfort and performance expected from smart.

The car can be conveniently plugged into a standard household socket or public charging bay and can be charged from flat to full in seven hours, just right for plugging your car in at night and driving off fully charged in the morning.

An optional 22kW onboard charger (£2,650) means it is possible to fully charge a completely empty battery in approximately one hour when connecting the supporting power cable to a public quick-charging station or ‘wallbox’- allowing just enough time for lunch - proof that the electric car has now well and truly ‘come of age’ and is more relevant to today’s consumers than ever before.smart’s innovation doesn’t just end with the vehicle and eco-technology: A new and alternative sales method - sale&care - removes the need for consumers to own the battery, making the new smart fortwo electric drive a more affordable choice. sale&care provides customers with a range of convenient payment options. The car also qualifies for the Government’s Plug-in Car Grant of 25% (up to max. of £5,000) which is all taken care of by the smart retailer. Customers purchasing a smart fortwo electric drive using the standard purchasing route will qualify for the maximum Grant of £5,000, and through the sale&care route, a Grant of up to £4,368.34.

The new version of the smart fortwo electric drive is based on the passion model line and includes enhanced acceleration above 35 mph, an impressive top speed of 78mph and a range of up to 90 miles.

Thanks to its compact size and zero local emissions, the smart fortwo electric drive is ideally suited to modern living. It combines ease of parking, with all the safety benefits of the familiar compact two-seater, including the steel tridion safety cell, electronic stability programme and full size driver and passenger airbags. The car appeals to those who care about their environmental footprint and to those looking for the perfect vehicle which is equally at home on winding country roads or busy city streets.

As expected from smart, a Mercedes-Benz brand, the new smart fortwo electric drive features extensive standard equipment, including: Satellite navigation; air conditioning with pre-conditioning function; electric windows; two-spoke leather steering wheel; leather gear knob; electric power steering, 9-spoke 15” alloy wheels and a luggage compartment cover. In addition to the standard solid roof, a panoramic roof and a cabrio version are available.

With a range of up to 90 miles, and average journeys in inner-city areas of between 20-25 miles per day*, getting through the day and back to a charging point is easy to achieve. The trip computer, also a standard feature in the smart electric drive, provides useful information on the journey and the remaining range at the touch of a button. The two round dash-mounted instruments show the battery state-of-charge and how much energy is being used or recuperated.

To cater for all charging eventualities, smart provides its electric drive customers with two standard charging cables for use via a household socket, or when using a wallbox/public charging station.

Customers can keep an eye on everything by using the smart Vehicle Homepage. This allows customers to communicate with their smart electric drive using portable devices such as tablets or smartphones and can check on current range, state of charge, all public charging stations nearby, remaining charge time – or if preferred, the smart fortwo electric drive will send an email to say it’s ready. The air conditioning with pre-conditioning function also makes it possible for customers to pre-cool or pre-heat the vehicle for a programmed departure time - making chilly mornings or sweltering cabins a thing of the past!

As an option, the smart fortwo electric drive can be equipped with a pedestrian sound module (£155), which emits a familiar ‘vehicle on-the-road’ noise, and the electric drive assistance pack (£380), which consists of cruise control and a three-spoke leather sports steering wheel with shift paddles for manual battery recuperation. The driver can decide whether to coast, or use the regeneration to slow the vehicle, harvesting energy otherwise wasted in braking.

For those wanting a little more individuality, the optional electric drive design package comes with: electric green tridion and door mirror caps; body panels in crystal white; 15” 9-spoke alloy wheels painted in crystal white; interior accents in electric green, and colour design black upholstery (£600).

sale&care

sale&care provides added peace of mind for those choosing electric drive motoring. An addition to the ‘standard’ options of outright purchase, finance purchase and leasing (encompassing both the car and battery) this class-leading and simple way of purchasing allows customers to choose a cash purchase or lease option on the car, combined with battery rental through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Amongst its electric drive rivals, the smart fortwo electric drive ‘standard’ and ‘sale&care’ purchase options offer the lowest on-the-road pricing and monthly battery rental. Prices start from £12,275 plus £55 per month battery rental, which provides a battery capacity and maintenance promise, and if necessary, free battery replacement for up to 10 years. At the end of the agreement, the customer simply returns the battery, or extends the lease to a maximum of 10 years. When it comes to resale, the customer sells the vehicle and the new owner is free to choose which purchase option would suit them best. The car comes with a three year warranty that can be extended to five years.

Gary Savage, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars, commented: “The smart fortwo electric drive widens the appeal and accessibility of fun, zero-local-emissions motoring to new and existing enthusiasts of the smart brand.

“With performance in line with many combustion-engine powered cars, the new smart electric drive is as at home on the motorway as it is in an urban environment. It is now also a financially-viable alternative to a conventional vehicle thanks to its Plug-in Car Grant qualification and our unique sale&care purchase options that represent excellent value and provide customers with ultimate peace-of-mind.”

He continued: “smart is the only manufacturer to have such an extensive electric offering, encompassing urban mobility on both two and four wheels and, with the smart ebike and forthcoming smart electric scooter, our electric drive products can even be enjoyed by those who don’t have a driving licence. There now truly is a smart electric product suitable for everyone.”

Images : 2013 smart fortwo electric