Zero-emission driving fun: Goodbye, filling stations - The new Smart Fortwo electric drive has arrived

26th June 2012

With the launch of the new Smart Fortwo electric drive smart customers enjoy even more fun at the wheel of an attractively priced vehicle - familiar as a coupé or a cabriolet. The most important feature distinguishing it from its siblings with conventional engines is the fact that it produces no emissions on the road.

With its 55kW electric motor the Smart Fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 - 60 km/h in 4.8 seconds, while a maximum speed of 125 km/h also allows use on urban motorways. The 17.6 kWh battery offes the urban two-seater approximately 145 kilometres in city traffic. The new `sale&care` model makes opting into electric mobility particularly attractive: it offers customers an opportunity to buy, finance or lease the vehicle at an attractive price and to rent the battery for a monthly fee.

130 Newton/metres torque from the all-new magneto-electric motor (a joint venture from EM-motive and Bosch)  accelerates powerfully from 0 to 60 km/h in 4.8 seconds (0 to 100 km/h in 11.5) with far more tractive power than its predecessor for speedy driving and overtaking. The battery-electric two-seater Smart Fortwo now claims a top speed on a par with the combustion-engined Smart.

A battery from another joint venture "Deutsche ACCUmotive" with Evonik Industries is fitted for the first time. The lithium-ion battery enables 145 kilometres of pollutant-free driving ForTwo fun, says Smart. In addition to higher battery capacity improvements have been made to the efficiency of the drive system for greater range. From empty it takes a maximum of seven hours to fully recharge the battery via a household socket or charging station i.e. overnight.

Lubetech says: On a commercial scale, lithium is isolated electrolytically from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride. Lithium is corrosive and requires special handling to avoid skin contact. Breathing lithium dust irritates the nasal passages and throat, higher exposure can cause a buildup of fluid in the lungs, leading to pulmonary edema. The metal itself is a handling hazard because of caustic hydroxide produced when it is in contact with moisture. Lithium is safely stored in non-reactive compounds such as naphtha. Lubetech supply a lot of chemical spill control products to prevent contamination for a `pollutant-free` car...