Technical details on the Smart ForTwo electric drive
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, SMART
Smart has released some technical details on a plug-in electric version of the tiny ForTwo. The car will use a 41hp electric motor driving the rear wheels just as the internal combustion version does. In an unusual choice for this diminutive machine, they have chosen to use a sodium-nickel-chloride (Zebra) battery. While these batteries have good capacity and are very stable, they operate at very high temperatures (250°C).
The electric Smart should be able to get to 37mph in 5.7s and max out at 70mph. A full charge should allow the driver to go about 72miles before plugging back in to a standard (in Europe) 230V outlet. Currently 100 examples of the electric Smart are being tested in Britain and no commercial plans have been confirmed. The Smart release is after the jump.
[Source: DaimlerChrysler]
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