Smart EV in the USA
The smart fortwo electric drive marked a natural next step for the trend-setting smart brand. After all, smart had already built its reputation around compact cars, urban mobility, and lower energy use. Therefore, adding a zero-emission electric powertrain made perfect sense.
More importantly, the electric drive expanded smart’s environmental mission. The company didn’t simply replace a gasoline engine with a battery. Instead, it turned the tiny fortwo into an even stronger statement about sustainable city transportation.
Based on the iconic smart fortwo, the electric drive arrived in both coupe and cabriolet versions. In addition, its incredibly small footprint made it especially well suited for crowded American cities. Drivers could squeeze into tight parking spaces while using no gasoline and producing no tailpipe emissions.
Meanwhile, the timing made sense for the U.S. market. Policymakers were placing greater emphasis on reducing carbon emissions and cutting dependence on fossil fuels. As a result, small electric vehicles offered another way to rethink how Americans moved around cities.
Electric Power Was Always Part of the Plan
Interestingly, electric power wasn’t an afterthought for the smart fortwo. It was part of the concept from the beginning.
When Daimler developers began imagining the smart EV design more than 20 years earlier, they were already thinking about high-torque electric motors. Therefore, the Smart EV fortwo’s compact size and lightweight approach created a natural foundation for electrification.
Electric motors also deliver torque almost instantly. Because of that, the smart fortwo electric drive didn’t need a traditional multi-gear transmission. Instead, it used a single gear.
That made driving remarkably simple. There was no conventional shifting. Moreover, that simplicity offered a real advantage in dense urban traffic, where drivers constantly accelerate, slow down, and stop.
Even reverse worked differently. Rather than relying on another transmission gear, the electric motor simply rotated in the opposite direction.
Small Electric Car, Instant Torque
The smart fortwo electric drive used a 55-kilowatt magneto-electric motor. During normal operation, the system provided about 35 kilowatts of continuous power.
However, drivers could access considerably more performance when needed.
In kickdown mode, the EM-motive electric motor could produce a peak 55 kilowatts for roughly two minutes. EM-motive was created as a joint venture between Bosch and Daimler. Furthermore, the electric powertrain delivered 96 pound-feet of torque.
That instant torque helped make the tiny EV feel responsive around town. Meanwhile, the smart could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 13 seconds. Its top speed reached approximately 78 mph.
Those numbers didn’t turn the fortwo into a sports car. However, that was never the mission.
Instead, smart created an EV designed around the realities of urban transportation. It was small, simple and used no gasoline while driving. Most importantly, it demonstrated how an electric drivetrain could fit naturally into a vehicle already designed around efficiency.
In many ways, the smart fortwo electric drive represented an early glimpse of where urban transportation was heading. Smaller vehicles, electric motors, efficient use of space, and zero tailpipe emissions were no longer just concepts. They were becoming part of the road ahead.
Smart EV electric motor details
In the new generation of the smart fortwo electric drive, an EM-motive (joint venture between Bosch and Daimler) 55-kilowatt electric motor provides 35 kilowatts of continuous power that translates to 130 Nm of torque. In its kickdown mode, the motor can generate peak power of 55 kilowatts for about two minutes. This power provides acceleration from zero to 60 mph in less than 13 seconds, and a top speed of more than 75 mph.
lithium-ion battery
In general, lithium-ion batteries boast shorter charging time, better performance, longer life and higher reliability than other battery technologies. Neatly hidden under the floor, the lithium-ion battery from the Daimler subsidiary Deutsche ACCUmotove in the new generation of the smart fortwo electric drive provides 17.6 kilowatt-hours of electrical power, with an efficiency of 110 watt hours per kilogram.
The range for the third-generation electric drive is expected to be more than 100 miles. However, much like conventional fuel economy, the range of any electric vehicle depends on 13 driving habits and weather so consumers can expect the range between charges to vary widely.
intelligent charging
The smart fortwo electric drive features a sophisticated battery management system to make it convenient and maximize its efficiency. First, it can be charged from any normal household 110-volt wall socket or a 240-volt socket like those used for electric clothes dryers, kitchen ranges, or a wall box. No external charger is needed, since the car has a 3.3 kilowatt on-board charger that can draw 16 amperes of current.
Charging time depends on battery temperature and which outlet is used. From a 240-volt outlet, it only takes 3½ hours to charge the battery from 20 to 80 percent and about seven hours to reach full charge from a depleted battery. Charging from a 110-volt outlet or in cold temperatures takes longer, so 240-volt charging should be done whenever possible. As recommended by the Society of Automotive Engineers, the car comes with a J1772 charging socket and connector on the charging cord, as well as a 110-volt travel cord that makes charging easy during travel.
Source: Daimler / Smart at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show
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