London to be test-bed for electric Smart
- Smart testing electric Fortwo in London
- Businesses and councils can trial car
- Car has 70-mile range and 70mph top speed
London will become the first city in the world to stage road trials of the electric-powered Smart Fortwo.
Smart will make 100 versions of the plug-in Fortwo available to local authorities, estate agents, building associations and other fleet users who live inside the capital's congestion charge zone. Deliveries will begin later this year.
London was chosen because it is regarded as one of the least car-friendly cities in the world.
Businesses in the central area not only have to cope with the £8-a-day congestion fee, but also face high parking charges and heavy traffic density.
Londoners are also among the most environmentally aware people in Europe, Smart says.
70-mile range and 70mph
Companies and authorities which opt to take part in the trials will rent the cars for around £400 a month, including all servicing support.
Smart reckons running costs will work out about the same as for a petrol Fortwo, because the electric car will be exempt from congestion charges and parking fees in many areas of the capital, and will even qualify for free electricity top-ups in some areas.
The electric version is powered by a 40bhp motor, can go up to 70 miles before the battery goes flat and has a top speed of 70mph.
Recharging is done through a standard electrical power point and costs about £1.20, producing the equivalent of 60g/km of carbon dioxide emissions at the power station, Smart says.
That's a far lower figure than any petrol or diesel car in the world.
A full recharge takes about eight hours, but the battery can be topped up from 80% drained to 80% charged in about three-and-a-half hours.
More new models
Smart is also introducing what it calls a micro-hybrid drive version of the Fortwo.
In effect, it is the 69bhp version of the new model due in the UK in September, fitted with a stop-start system to kill the engine when stationary in traffic and restart it when you take your foot off the brake.
It is due in the UK late next year, but because it is not a full hybrid, buyers will still have to pay London's congestion charge under current rules, even though it emits only 103g/km of carbon dioxide.
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