Smart charges ahead with ForTwo electric car

Jun 14, 2010 5:12 PM

When you drive a Smart car, the first question everybody asks is whether it's electric. (For the record, no, Smart cars sold in the United States so far, are powered by a 1-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine.) But the tiny-car maker now says it expects to introduce an electric version of the ForTwo, called the ED (for Electric Drive) to America this fall.

But you probably can't get your name on the waiting list just yet. The company plans to bring in only 250 EDs to the United States and lease them to fleet customers for four years for $599 a month with $2,500 down. That puts them about twice the price of a traditional gas-powered Smart ForTwo—a car Consumer Reports does not recommend. (See our Smart ForTwo model overview with road test and ratings.)

The Smart ED will be powered by a 16.5 kwh lithium-ion battery that gives the car about an 80-mile range. The company claims it will take less than eight hours to fully charge on a 220-volt outlet. It can also be charged on a 110-volt outlet in about twice the time.

The company says it expects to put the electric Smart into full production in 2013. Other automakers, including BMW, Ford, Nissan, and Toyota all expect to introduce electric cars in the next couple of years. By then the Smart ED will join a continually growing wave of electric vehicles on American streets.

Visit our guide to alternative fuels and guide to fuel economy.

–Eric Evarts