| ||||
smart car owners forum model 451 fortwo - Discuss upgrades, modifications, ideas > smart car owners general chat forum > smart car news and announcements forum > 250 smart EDs coming to U.S. this fall with $599/month leases attached |
| ||||
smart car owners forum model 451 fortwo - Discuss upgrades, modifications, ideas > smart car owners general chat forum > smart car news and announcements forum > 250 smart EDs coming to U.S. this fall with $599/month leases attached |
| Moderated by: 451smart |
|
|||||||||||||||
| 250 smart EDs coming to U.S. this fall with $599/month leases attached | Rate Topic |
| Author | Post |
|---|
| Posted: Thu Jun 10th, 2010 11:50 pm |
|
1st Post |
|
ALephart Administrator 
|
From: http://green.autoblog.com/2010/06/10/250-smart-eds-coming-to-u-s-this-fall-with-599-month-leases-at/ Smart USA debuted the second-gen Smart ED (Electric Drive) in Brooklyn this week because it considers urban environments to be the car's "natural habitat." Long time readers will know that Daimler has been testing electric versions of the Fortwo in Europe for a few years (and that we got a sneak peek of the second-gen Smart ED in Las Vegas a few weeks ago) and that the cautious testing period is now, finally, expanding to North America. Globally, Daimler will make and test 1,500 second-gen Smart ED units. Originally, the company was going to make just 1,000 at Hambach, but discovered demand was quite high for a battery-powered Smart car. Maybe that's because people just expect this car to be electric. Smart USA president Jill Lajdziak told us that she's been asked if her Fortwo is an electric car when she was literally at the gas station pumping fuel into it. The Fortwo in the U.S. wasn't electric before – now it is. Before we get into the weeds about the program, here are some more Smart ED numbers from the briefing:
Moos has been watching the Smart ED testing (first and second generation) in Europe, and said that once people actually drive the car, their mindset about what a car needs to do changes. "We don't have to teach them," he said. "They learn." Kaufman said that he hasn't had any complaints from customers yet about the 62.5 mph speed limit, which is also in place on the first-gen models, but that's one of the the things this U.S. trial is all about. "If we get a huge push-back on this, changing it may be something we discuss." The problem with the top speed, though, is that even though it is electronically limited, it's not just a matter of changing a line of code to increase it. Moos explained that the 30 kW peak motor power, which is required to get the car going faster, can only be called up for about two minutes. So, should Daimler and Smart USA want to up it, it could be difficult and may require a different motor. As for the monthly cost of the lease – which gets kind of close to double what the Nissan Leaf will be ($349/month for three years) but is less than what the Mini E cost in its first year ($850 then, $600 now) – Kaufman said that money "covers the cost of the cars." This does not include the R&D costs that have gone into the program over the years, just what is required to actually produce this subset vehicles, he said. Moos said it was a reasonable amount, because, "Anyone who tells you they're making money on electric cars is lying. It's simply not possible now." In its European testing, Daimler has seen the typical Smart ED drivers only needing to recharge once or twice a week. In the U.S., Smart USA will be introducing the car into five key launch areas: Portland, San Jose, Orlando (where there will be an EV corridor built soon), Indianapolis (where a lot of commuters from outside 465 drive around 20 miles each way to go to work downtown. Kaufmann said there are around 20 cities in the U.S. that have a similar setup in the U.S.) and the I-95 corridor around Washington, D.C., New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. Some of the cars will also go to Austin, Detroit and Los Angeles. Smart will also follow Coulomb Technologies to the nine areas of the country where the DOE gave them money to install chargers. Smart USA hasn't negotiated any sort of special electricity rates for Smart ED drivers with the utilities it is working with in these areas, but it has discussed ways to incentivize electric vehicle purchases in the areas where the cars will be available. These test areas will lay the carpet for the production Smart EDs to show up in January 2012, and who knows what those vehicles will cost or be able to do. We certainly expect changes of some sort. Right now, the Smart ED doesn't make the most sense from a purely numerical point of view. But that's not what Smart USA is counting on. No, the brand is working the lifestyle angle, a message Lajdziak explained earlier this year. Kaufman said that people who are interested in the Fortwo – no matter what powertrain it has – aren't usually interested in shopping different brands. People love this car for what it is, and Smart USA is confident there will be plenty of them willing to make the jump from gas to electrons once the first vehicles in the test batch arrive in about four months. Are you one of them? The other bit of news from Brooklyn was the announcement of the $10 Smart ED iPhone app. We'll have posts up about that and what it's like to drive the Smart ED shortly. PRESS RELEASE smart fortwo electric drive The smart with electric drive is coming to the USA New York – Following the successful launch in European cities the new smart fortwo electric drive will take to the roads of North American cities from the autumn. The electrically powered trendsetter has been rolling off the production line since November 2009 – and due to the huge demand the initial production volume has been increased from 1000 to 1500 vehicles. The second generation smart fortwo electric drive is equipped with an innovative and highly efficient lithium-ion battery. It is neatly accommodated between the axles, which means that space is not compromised in any way in the intelligent two-seater vehicle. A 30 kW electric motor is fitted at the rear. This provides for very good acceleration and high agility with 120 Newton metres of torque that are immediately available. The smart fortwo electric drive can be charged at any normal household socket. The fully charged battery has sufficient power to cover approximately 135 kilometres in accordance with the New European Driving Cycle, making it ideal for urban use. smart has made electric drive a practical alternative for mobility with zero local emissions in urban areas. The first of the new smart fortwo electric drive vehicles were handed over to customers in Berlin at the end of 2009, and the environmentally friendly pioneer will now demonstrate its suitability for everyday use in further cities in Europe, North America and Asia. From 2012 the smart fortwo electric drive will be available to anyone interested in almost 40 smart markets. Marc Langenbrinck, responsible for brand management at smart says "In 1998 smart revolutionised urban mobility with the unique smart fortwo vehicle concept. Now smart is once again taking on a pioneering role and redefining zero-emission urban mobility. We are the first manufacturer to launch a series-produced electric vehicle. Daimler is spearheading electric mobility with the smart fortwo electric drive. The smart fortwo electric drive is a further logical step in the evolution of the smart brand which boasts the fleet with the lowest fuel consumption anyway." Environmental friendliness and state-of-the-art functionality have been defining features of the smart fortwo ever since it was launched more than ten years ago. Since then its innovative concept has combined sustainable, forward-looking technologies with individual urban mobility. With a length of just over two and a half metres the extremely compact vehicle can also park perpendicular to the flow of traffic. In addition, the space-saving and environmentally friendly two-seater currently has the lowest fleet consumption and it brings its occupants to their destination comfortably and safely. Its design is fresh, youthful, modern and yet sophisticated and has made it an automotive lifestyle icon which shows that mobility, responsibility to the environment and joie de vivre are compatible with one another. The smart fortwo has established a class of its own. smart fortwo electric drive offers innovative driving fun The new smart fortwo electric drive, which started rolling off the production line in November 2009, is a logical continuation of a very ambitious goal: the production of a well-engineered, attractive city car that has no local exhaust gas emissions i.e. a zero emission vehicle. In 2007 smart kicked off zero-emission motoring in London with its tough city traffic conditions. Since then 100 smart fortwo electric drives of the first generation have been in practical customer operation there. The feedback from the UK capital has been very positive and confirms the high degree of maturity of this vehicle concept. In 2008 smart presented the second generation smart fortwo electric drive, a more advanced electric drive with an innovative lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion technology has decisive advantages over other types of batteries including better performance, shorter charging times, a long life and high reliability. Marc Langenbrinck says "The second generation smart fortwo electric drive is based on a successful and accepted vehicle concept with character and inherent environmentally friendly characteristics. Its innovative electric battery drive makes it the perfect car for the city: it is agile, economical and climate-friendly. Motoring with zero local emissions in an urban environment has become a reality. This equates to driving fun with no compromises." Electric drive factored in from the very first concept The smart fortwo electric drive is a smart fortwo that does not make any compromises with regard to safety, agility, comfort and space. Electric drives have been part of the smart concept right from the start. The later integration of the components needed for electric drive was planned at a very early stage. For example, there is space for the battery in the underfloor between the axles where the tank is located in other smart models. The electric drive module does not limit the space available in the smart fortwo electric drive in any way; there is just as much interior and luggage compartment space as in a smart fortwo with a combustion engine. Powerful drive A 30 kW magneto-electric motor is installed at the rear of the new smart fortwo electric drive and reacts directly without delay. Powerful torque of 120 Newton metres is immediately available. This results in a surprising amount of power when pulling away. The smart fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 - 60 km/h in 6.5 seconds – just as quickly as a petrol model which it initially leaves behind it. After a year of driving the first generation smart fortwo electric drive in everyday conditions on British roads one of the participants in the large-scale London trial said "You can beat anything at the lights". The maximum speed of the smart fortwo electric drive has been deliberately limited to 100 km/h, a suitable maximum speed for the city. Thanks to the power characteristic of the electric motor, just one single fixed gear ratio is required. There is no need for any gear changing – a major advantage in dense city traffic. To reverse, the engine's direction of rotation changes. "Fantastic and easy to drive. You just get in, turn on and go" was how experienced users from London summed up the smart fortwo electric drive. The second generation smart fortwo electric drive is powered by a lithium-ion battery developed by Tesla Motors Inc. with electrical energy of 16.5 kWh. It is simple to charge at any fused 220 Volt socket. A fully charged battery is sufficient for up to 135 kilometres of driving fun (NEDC). This range is more than enough for city traffic as studies have shown that cars drive an average of 30 - 40 kilometres per day in towns and cities. For this, the vehicle only needs to be charged for three hours. At an average speed of 25 - 30 km/h that is normal in city traffic the smart fortwo electric drive can drive for around four to five hours continuously before it needs to be recharged. Plugging the car in overnight will fully recharge the battery.
____________________ I got my smart car! |
|||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Jun 11th, 2010 02:54 am |
|
2nd Post |
|
DaveInTexas Member 
|
I've got to say... At $599/month for a lease, I would rather spend my money on a Jaguar XF for the same amount of money. Technology advancement only goes so far in my book.
|
|||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Jun 11th, 2010 05:58 pm |
|
3rd Post |
|
ALephart Administrator
|
I agree, the lease rate is insane! I will take a Leaf for half of that! All the best, Aaron Lephart
____________________ I got my smart car! |
|||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Current time is 04:19 pm | |
| smart car owners forum model 451 fortwo - Discuss upgrades, modifications, ideas > smart car owners general chat forum > smart car news and announcements forum > 250 smart EDs coming to U.S. this fall with $599/month leases attached | Top |
