Smart to offer EVs and traditional engines across the lineup

Smart will become the only major auto brand to offer its entire model lineup with both combustion engines and pure battery-electric drive, Mercedes-Benz said today.The 2017 Smart ForTwo Coupe and Cabrio electric-drive cars are set to premiere at the Paris auto show, which starts next week.Both the ForTwo and ForTwo Cabrio electric cars are powered by an electric motor with 80 hp and 118 pounds-feet of torque, which is immediately available from a standstill. The motor works at the rear of the vehicle and transmits its power via a constant ratio to the wheels, Mercedes said.The electric ForTwo Coupe is set to arrive in the U.S. next spring, while the Cabrio is set to arrive in summer 2017. U.S. pricing and range will be announced at a later date. Smart is estimating that the charge time will be 2.5 hours when utilizing the high-performance on-board charger."The Smart is the ideal city car, and with electric drive it becomes a little bit more perfect," Smart CEO Annette Winkler said in a statement. “Together with lots of Smart fans and enthusiastic drivers of the predecessor generations, we are looking forward to the unique driving fun offered by the new Smart electric drive at very attractive prices, especially in countries where there is a buyer's premium."The ForTwo Coupe and Cabrio electric vehicles are built at Smart’s factory in Hambach, France. Daimler subsidiary Deutsche Accumotive supplies the lithium ion battery.Drivers can select “Eco” mode, which limits the maximum speed, adjusts the accelerator pedal curve and the maximum recuperation level is pre-selected.Pre-entry climate control is another feature that is meant to save energy and extend the range. This enables the desired temperature to be reached in the interior while the vehicle is still charging at a socket, Mercedes said.As with previous Smart cars, the electric versions will be highly customizable with matte and metallic paint colors, including the exclusive Electric Green.Smart offered electric versions of the 2016 ForTwo Coupe and Cabrio, though those models were based off the second-generation vehicle. The gasoline-powered ForTwo Coupe was redesigned for the 2016 model year and the Cabrio redesign followed for the 2017 model year.Smart has sold 3,439 vehicles through the first eight months of 2016, down 26.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the Automotive News Data Center.

Smart to offer EVs and traditional engines across the lineup

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