Official smart fortwo electric drive thread

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Preview of the next gen smart ED ...

http://www.greencarreports.com/news...ectric-drive-prototype-first-ride-impressions

EPA-rated range could be as high as 85 miles per charge, the engineers hinted

This compares with about 68 EPA miles per charge on the current one but we already know from people who have reported here, that's on the low side so perhaps we might see closer to 100+ in real world situations.

Nice little indicator light in the charge port ...

2017-smart-fortwo-electric-drive-european-model-prototype-aug-2016_100559930_m.jpg
 
Via IEVS:
New Smart ED Starts At $16,300 in U.S., After Fed Incentive
http://insideevs.com/new-smart-electric-price-16300/

Similar articles can be found here (GCR):
2017 Smart ForTwo electric cars priced from $24,550
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1110597_2017-smart-fortwo-electric-cars-priced-from-24550

Here (GCC):
2017 smart fortwo electric drive offers more for less; starting MSRP $23,800 in US
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/05/20170523-smart.html

And here (ABG):
2017 Smart ForTwo ED is cheaper than its smaller, slower charging predecessor
http://www.autoblog.com/2017/05/22/2017-smart-fortwo-ed-price-tax-credit/

The $24,550 quoted by GCR includes dest., the others are MSRP.
 
Via IEVS:
With Electric Vehicle Only Approach Looming, Some Smart Dealers Might End Sales
http://insideevs.com/smart-electric-sales-dealers-must-decide/
. . . Mercedes-Benz Dealer Board chairman and owner of two smart dealerships in Texas shared (via Automotive News):

“Electric smart vehicles make sense in certain markets, but don’t make as much sense in other markets. So it might make some sense for some dealers to become service-only dealers.”

EVs don’t sell in Texas like they do in California. Schnitzer continued:

“Drive times and range can make a big difference — it’s not like being in downtown San Francisco. . . .”

Winkler [GRA: Annette Winkler, smart’s global boss] and [GRA: Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Dietmar] Exler expect dealers in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Portland to stick with the microcar brand.
 
Both via IEVS:
In Electric Shift, Smart Will Lose 2/3rds Of Its U.S. Dealers
http://insideevs.com/electric-smart-lose-american-dealers/

. . . According to Automotive News, 58 of Smart’s 85 U.S. dealerships will no longer sell the little city car, but they will continue to offer repair services for vehicles already on the road.

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that the 27 Smart dealerships that will keep selling the EV are in states that have signed on to CARB’s zero-emission mandate or cities like New York and Miami that have a green, EV-friendly population ready to zip through the crowded streets in a zero-emission two-seater. . . .

Then, just to make sure they put a stake through the heart of the Smart ED in the U.S:
2017 Smart ED Loses 10 Miles Of Range Compared To Outgoing Model – 58 Miles
http://insideevs.com/2017-smart-ed-loses-range/

Remember the whole 68 miles of electric range that the last generation Smart Fortwo ED got, according to the EPA? Well, say goodbye to ten of those miles, because the 2017 Smart Fortwo ED was just rated at 58 miles.

Unsurprisingly, Smart did not put out a press release about this decrease and the official Twitter feed is silent on the matter, and we learned about it from a reader comment on yesterday’s post about two-thirds of the Smart dealers in the U.S. closing or becoming service-only in the wake of the brand’s shift away from gas models and focusing on electric models only. . . .

The lithium-ion battery capacity has remained the same between the two versions, at 17.6-kWh, so it is likely weight and/or aero related. We’ve asked Daimler representatives about the reasons for this drop, but have not yet heard back. A year ago, there was talk that the new Smart Fortwo ED would get up to 85 miles of range and company materials even said 80 miles was expected, so something either changed or Daimler severely underestimated the impact of the “updates” it was making to the style and powertrain.

The last piece of the puzzle is a glimpse into the expanded fuel economy figures from the EPA website. There, we can see that the 2017 Smart Fortwo ED will have a city range of 63 miles and a highway rating of 51 miles. The interesting bit is the line below, where is says that the “combined range voluntarily lowered from 69 miles.” What this means, exactly, is something we hope the company will address when it responds to our questions. . . .
 
The listed EPA range has dropped but I don't know how that can be. It has higher efficiency and the same battery. Doesn't make sense. We have over 12000 km on our cabrio and it is a very fun, quick and agile car to drive. 130 KM in 50 50 combined driving isn't even a stretch. I can't see how the new ones have dropped the range to 94 KM. Wierd.

21230577955_8035498ffa_z.jpg
 
It's almost time to close the Bumblebee chapter - my smart goes back to Mercedes in two weeks. This has been the most fun car I've yet owned. Over the past three years and about 11,000 miles the car's been 100% reliable and has cost me only one set of wiper blades. Max range seems to be unchanged from new, though colder weather seems to pull the range down a bit faster.

This has been my sole car so has done all of the things required by life. While there's plenty of public charging in San Antonio, I've only used it a few times in three years as the 68 miles of EPA range has been enough for trips all over town, as long as they're taken one at a time. One of the highlights was taking friends and their gas cans on post Hurricane Harvey drives to find a station that had gas.

There were plenty of trips to school, to the rifle range, doctor appointments, and home improvement stores. I learned that one can carry a full size table saw in the back as long as the tailgate stays down. ;)

mulchbee.jpg

s_board_bee.jpg

The only shooting concession was breaking the AR-10 and putting it into a case for range trips. I never did take the Kentucky long rifle to the range. :lol:
rangebee.jpg


The massive ice storm of 2016...
icybee.jpg

...was followed by the blizzard of 2017. We will rebuild. :lol:
snowybee.jpg


She's been down to 0% charge a dozen or so times now yet still got me to a place to charge even if it was at 15 MPH for the last couple of miles. And even if the charger was ICEd and pottied...because Texas...

blockedcharge1.jpg


She's been a great car and a ton of fun. Happy trails, Bumblebee.
 
We’re taking another look at the latest Smart Fortwo (available now ONLY as an EV in the US from here on out) as the lease rates are so low at $139/mo that it may replace my wife’s ‘14 smart cabrio. If we end up with one we’ll be sure to post it here - she has a quite short work commute (7 mile round trip) so a local commuter EV at this price point could make a lot of sense. Anyone else opt for a 2nd gen smart ED (of course the latest has dropped the ED moniker and have a simple ‘electric drive’ script on the front and no plug outline on the Tridion frame anymore but I digress). Smart cars aren’t for everyone but do still fit a niche - this would be our 3rd and could actually be the best one, we’ll see ...
 
redLEAF said:
We’re taking another look at the latest Smart Fortwo (available now ONLY as an EV in the US from here on out) as the lease rates are so low at $139/mo that it may replace my wife’s ‘14 smart cabrio. If we end up with one we’ll be sure to post it here - she has a quite short work commute (7 mile round trip) so a local commuter EV at this price point could make a lot of sense. Anyone else opt for a 2nd gen smart ED (of course the latest has dropped the ED moniker and have a simple ‘electric drive’ script on the front and no plug outline on the Tridion frame anymore but I digress). Smart cars aren’t for everyone but do still fit a niche - this would be our 3rd and could actually be the best one, we’ll see ...
IDK what the route, traffic and general safety conditions are like on your wife's commute, but 7 miles RT is ideal for a bike commute. Granted, it's not great in winter in your area, but there are e-trikes with enclosed cockpits. Not thinking a bike or pedelec is a likely choice for her, but thought I'd throw it out there just in case it hadn't occurred to either of you. Most people have become so trained to think that personal commute vehicle = car that other options never occur to them. I do remember the woman here a long while back who announced she'd just gotten a LEAF for her one mile (2 RT) commute, and I've always wondered if she fell into that category.
 
GRA said:
redLEAF said:
We’re taking another look at the latest Smart Fortwo (available now ONLY as an EV in the US from here on out) as the lease rates are so low at $139/mo that it may replace my wife’s ‘14 smart cabrio. If we end up with one we’ll be sure to post it here - she has a quite short work commute (7 mile round trip) so a local commuter EV at this price point could make a lot of sense. Anyone else opt for a 2nd gen smart ED (of course the latest has dropped the ED moniker and have a simple ‘electric drive’ script on the front and no plug outline on the Tridion frame anymore but I digress). Smart cars aren’t for everyone but do still fit a niche - this would be our 3rd and could actually be the best one, we’ll see ...
IDK what the route, traffic and general safety conditions are like on your wife's commute, but 7 miles RT is ideal for a bike commute. Granted, it's not great in winter in your area, but there are e-trikes with enclosed cockpits. Not thinking a bike or pedelec is a likely choice for her, but thought I'd throw it out there just in case it hadn't occurred to either of you. Most people have become so trained to think that personal commute vehicle = car that other options never occur to them. I do remember the woman here a long while back who announced she'd just gotten a LEAF for her one mile (2 RT) commute, and I've always wondered if she fell into that category.

Haven't been through any REALLY cold weather 'eh? ... let me know how that would work for you -- not really an option plus we're in the 'burbs so some roads have a decent space for bike traffic and/or sidewalks and some do not; not really all that safe. Unlike one of my sons cities (Nashua, NH) our 'burb is not very 'walkable' or designed with bike paths its really car dependent --- plus, if her work commute was all she needed to do on a daily basis and not go shopping, etc. maybe we might consider it for 3-seasons -- in any case, we ended up doing a 3-year single payment lease using the '14 smart against it -- opted for the lowest mileage (7,500/yr). They had a very nice 10th Anniversary Sapphire blue metallic coupe that was indeed a whole generation+ better than either of the two prior smarts we owned -- its wider (more elbow room), smoother over bumps (wider tires all around) and much more seamless (single speed EV) to drive plus as we're about to have a solar panel system installed on our house will soon cost nothing to run. Links below to photos f the model we're leasing:

https://cms.kelleybluebookimages.co...bb/01-2019-Smart-Electric-Drive-NAIAS-KBB.JPG

https://cms.kelleybluebookimages.co...bb/02-2019-Smart-Electric-Drive-NAIAS-KBB.JPG

I'm taking it to work today to see how it does on my own 50+ mile commute; we've seen an indicated 83 mile range so we'll see how it does
 
redLEAF said:
GRA said:
redLEAF said:
We’re taking another look at the latest Smart Fortwo (available now ONLY as an EV in the US from here on out) as the lease rates are so low at $139/mo that it may replace my wife’s ‘14 smart cabrio. If we end up with one we’ll be sure to post it here - she has a quite short work commute (7 mile round trip) so a local commuter EV at this price point could make a lot of sense. Anyone else opt for a 2nd gen smart ED (of course the latest has dropped the ED moniker and have a simple ‘electric drive’ script on the front and no plug outline on the Tridion frame anymore but I digress). Smart cars aren’t for everyone but do still fit a niche - this would be our 3rd and could actually be the best one, we’ll see ...
IDK what the route, traffic and general safety conditions are like on your wife's commute, but 7 miles RT is ideal for a bike commute. Granted, it's not great in winter in your area, but there are e-trikes with enclosed cockpits. Not thinking a bike or pedelec is a likely choice for her, but thought I'd throw it out there just in case it hadn't occurred to either of you. Most people have become so trained to think that personal commute vehicle = car that other options never occur to them. I do remember the woman here a long while back who announced she'd just gotten a LEAF for her one mile (2 RT) commute, and I've always wondered if she fell into that category.
Haven't been through any REALLY cold weather 'eh? ... let me know how that would work for you -- not really an option plus we're in the 'burbs so some roads have a decent space for bike traffic and/or sidewalks and some do not; not really all that safe. Unlike one of my sons cities (Nashua, NH) our 'burb is not very 'walkable' or designed with bike paths its really car dependent --- plus, if her work commute was all she needed to do on a daily basis and not go shopping, etc. maybe we might consider it for 3-seasons -- in any case, we ended up doing a 3-year single payment lease using the '14 smart against it -- opted for the lowest mileage (7,500/yr). They had a very nice 10th Anniversary Sapphire blue metallic coupe that was indeed a whole generation+ better than either of the two prior smarts we owned -- its wider (more elbow room), smoother over bumps (wider tires all around) and much more seamless (single speed EV) to drive plus as we're about to have a solar panel system installed on our house will soon cost nothing to run. Links below to photos f the model we're leasing: <snip>
Glad you've found something to work for you. I've been in fairly cold temps, including X-C skiing (reasonably comfortably) at 18F dressed in nothing but shorts, socks, boots, gaiters, fingerless bike gloves and a ball cap, and (wearing more clothes) down to well below zero, but I have an odd metabolism and most people wouldn't be comfortable doing so. But I do know of people who bike commute/run errands year-round in Minnesota and similar iceboxes, although you have to be a really dedicated rider to do so (I don't put myself in that category), and I wasn't suggesting that it would work for your wife or most people. And as you note, traffic conditions, and probably more importantly someone's willingness to ride in it, vary widely.
 
redLEAF said:
GRA said:
redLEAF said:
Links below to photos f the model we're leasing:

https://cms.kelleybluebookimages.co...bb/01-2019-Smart-Electric-Drive-NAIAS-KBB.JPG

https://cms.kelleybluebookimages.co...bb/02-2019-Smart-Electric-Drive-NAIAS-KBB.JPG

I'm taking it to work today to see how it does on my own 50+ mile commute; we've seen an indicated 83 mile range so we'll see how it does

Quick follow up as we've had the smart ED for 2+ months; now this is the car that smart should have introduced back in '08 (of course this tech wasn't yet available)! Much more compliant / smoother ride (of course it isn't perfect with such a short wheelbase); single speed trans/drive unit so instant torque without annoying 'lurching' shifts (we almost always used the manual shift side) which really helps in slow stop and go traffic. More room for passengers and generally improved materials and redesigned interior. I no longer dread taking it to work to give it a few miles. I guess the most surprising thing is how much faster it can sprint in the suburban traffic it typically encounters but then again we all now how much EV's compare to their ICE counterparts.

The wife who is the main driver is quite happy with it but then again she loved the first two smarts anyway even with all their quirks. I'm curious what the future of smart will be once the lease is up. We'll also see how well this does in the winter months but as the EV battery does have a thermal management system (versus just air-cooled) it should be fine -- have seen an indicated range of 110 miles at times but realistically on a moderate temp day can get about 90 miles before the 20% 'reserve battery' warning comes up. Using AC of course does reduce range but its pretty efficient and can definitely keep the cabin cool -- it will vary a bit on its impact on overall range but as we both have commutes that always start at 100% charge not an issue.

Wish list -- MBZ/smart needs to release an updated smart EV phone app; similar to the LEAF they started down the 2G path but never replaced it -- have heard that European smarts have something that they can use but not available in the US; my local MBZ/smart center tech didn't know when or if they plan on one so will have to live w/o it. The car does actually cool or warm up quickly so don't really miss the ability to pre-temp the cabin but would be nice; as well just a double check on range on really hot or cool days.

We picked up some Weathertech mats for it to be ready for winter; with such a low-volume car we were happy that they actually still make them!

Will be curious to see what MBZ does as they introduce more vehicles to their new 'EQ' line (including renaming the smart) ... perhaps our next one will look like this and simply drop us off to work !

https://media.daimler.com/marsMedia...-the-future-of-car-sharing.xhtml?oid=29042725
 
redLEAF said:

Will be curious to see what MBZ does as they introduce more vehicles to their new 'EQ' line (including renaming the smart) ... perhaps our next one will look like this and simply drop us off to work !

https://media.daimler.com/marsMedia...-the-future-of-car-sharing.xhtml?oid=29042725

Quoting myself as we can see the general lack of interest (of course this is a LEAF forum) in the smart electric drive -- and probably the last post we'll see here unless others are in the same boat -- will be returning the smart to MBZ after its 3 year lease ends this July -- no surprise but MBZ did stop exporting them to the US. At the same time they cut the number of MBZ dealers who are authorized to service them so buying for residual was out and keeping would have been inconvenient; also they don't really offer a robust battery/electric drive component warranty (unlike most others) so that was a deal killer as well.

The car did serve its commuter purpose and was quite to cheap to run (solar panels at my house provided its fuel) and maintain - wife loved the quick and easy turning radius and higher than most ride-height. Car due to its 'race-car cage frame' did have more blind spots but she overcame that as well.

What did we get as a replacement? Look under the BMW i3 thread to see more -- bye, bye smart, hope its gets reincarnated for the US market again down the road.
 
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