The UK is to be the trial market for a new fully electric version of the Smart Fortwo city car.
The Smart ev (electric vehicle) will make its debut at the British motor show next week, and will be made available on a lease arrangement to selected UK corporate customers with deliveries starting in November. Leases are expected to cost around £375 a month.
The ev has a 30kW output (40bhp) and a top speed of 70mph, with 0-30 mph in 6.5 seconds –faster than its petrol-powered stablemate – and a range of up to 72 miles. The ev is also exempt from vehicle excise duty and the congestion charge.
The drivetrain for the ev is produced in the UK by Zytek Group, which also undertakes final assembly of the car near Litchfield.
Next week’s London show will also mark the release of another all-electric car, the No Internal Combustion Engine, or Nice. Like the Smart, the Nice is all-electric, with a top speed of 40mph and a range of around 50 miles. It is made in France, and has been developed by a team including ex-Lotus engineers. We’ll bring you more details next week.
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