smart USA delivers first retail electric drive vehicle
26 January 2011
smart USA Distributor LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Automotive Group, Inc., delivered the first smart fortwo electric drive to a retail customer in the United States.
The smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a 30 kW magneto-electric motor and 16.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. According to the US EPA LA4 test cycle, the smart fortwo electric drive can travel up to 98 miles (158 km) on a full charge. In combined city and highway driving, the US EPA estimates the range on the smart fortwo electric drive to be 63 miles (101 km). Using a 220 volt outlet, it takes three and a half hours to charge the battery from 20 to 80% of its capacity and about eight hours to reach full charge from a depleted battery.
This year, smart USA is placing 250 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles across the United States with selected companies, municipalities, organizations and individuals. Series production on next-generation vehicles for retail sale through smart USA’s dealer network is expected in 2012.
The first member of smart’s Team 250 is Mindy Kimball, a 36-year-old early adopter of electric vehicle technology and a Major in the United States Army.
I suppose their slogan will be, "Get Smart-er." Anyway, good luck to this venture. It is enlightened of Penske - an oil distributor, to move into EVs. Someone in the front office has vision.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 26 January 2011 at 09:26 PM
Have a grid interconnected cheap lead acid battery of the right voltage at home and you can have emergency power and very fast recharging cheaply, and with cheaper night power if you are in California. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 28 January 2011 at 01:36 PM
Just in case somebody has missed my usual insistence on having range extenders.
If you are really "SMART" you will carry a Honda 1000is or 2000is and a few bottles of stabilized gasoline. The motor-alternator part is all that is needed and a clever person could mount it permanently somewhere and design a controller circuit for electric start and charge control so that the battery could be charged in every open parking lot and whilst driving. You would be surprised how fast one kilowatt continuous could take you down any city street. ..HG..
Posted by: Henry Gibson | 28 January 2011 at 01:55 PM