Smart Updates Fortwo Electric Drive for 2012, Adds More Performance [Geneva Auto Show]

Full disclosure: The C/D office is nearly unanimous in the perception that the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive is something less than a "real" car. Is it the world's most luxurious golf cart? Probably; we might be unanimous on that one, too. Here to challenge these notions is a fairly comprehensive quarter-cycle refresh for 2012 that brings subtle exterior changes shared with other 2012 Fortwos and an overhaul of the ED's biggest weak point: its powertrain. Smart promises better performance from its latest Electric Drive, and showed off the updated model at the Geneva auto show. Before we outline Smart's changes, here's a euphemism that recaps current Smart Electric Drive's performance: After subjecting the ED to our vehicle-testing procedures, the performance data appeared rife with errors. That, or one of our testers had been asleep at the wheel. Regardless, the numbers didn't even come close to those of a typical modern automobile; 0-to-60 mph happened in 23.4 seconds, and a top speed of 63 mph was all the car could muster. The good news is that Smart apparently recognized the problem, and its solution includes a new, more powerful Bosch-derived electric motor paired with a higher-capacity battery. With its new motor, the new Smart ED packs 34 more hp for a new total of 74. Torque is up, too, from 89 lb-ft to 96. Battery capacity grows from 16.5 kWh in the outgoing car's Tesla-sourced lithium-ion unit to 17.6 from a new pack supplied by Daimler subsidiary Deutsche ACCUmotive. As you'd expect, the injection of 85 percent more power is a game-changer for the electric Fortwo. Smart claims the car can now run from 0-to-62 mph in less than 13 seconds before topping out at 75 mph. As the company puts it, this kind of performance puts the ED "on par" with the gas-powered Fortwo. We'd never consider the gas Fortwo to be a performance bogey, but at least it's not dangerously slow—and it's a better benchmark than, say, an arthritic tortoise. In terms of range, the new Electric Drive has more of it; Smart says the car can travel up to 87 miles per charge in urban driving. That figure actually betters the Nissan Leaf's 73-mile EPA-rated driving range; the EPA pegs the outgoing ED's range at 63 miles. Recharging the battery takes around eight hours when juicing from a standard wall socket, but an optional 22-kW on-board quick charger is available that can do the deed in just one hour. The improved Fortwo Electric drive will be available in 30 markets by this summer, and we expect our market to be included in that group. Pricing or lease terms are yet to be announced. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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