Electric cars that are new or revised on the market are usually allowed to take a long swig from the range range. In the case of the third generation starting in April 2017 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive was only enough for a sip. Despite the modest range doping, the Zwergstromer was able to impress us with many innovations and significantly improved driving characteristics.
As you know, experience makes you smart and Smart has already gained a lot of experience with the practical use of the Fortwo ED. “We can say that our average customer drives 35 kilometers every day,” explains development engineer Jürgen Duda, who is responsible for the drive train of the new edition. The Fortwo ED is now intended as a pure city car, for which the previous battery with a range of 145 kilometers was enough.
There is a new battery with new lithium-ion cells from LG, but with 17,6 kWh it offers exactly the same storage capacity as before. Thanks to a new, more efficient drivetrain derived from Renault's Zoe, an increase in range was nevertheless achieved. The separately excited three-phase synchronous motor pulls only 12,9 instead of 15 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometer, which is why the new Fortwo with the same amount of electricity comes 15 kilometers further than before.
The official range of 160 kilometers is the NEDC test bench value, which is known to be non-existent in everyday car use, Duda concedes. Smart therefore assumes a realistic range of at least 120 kilometers. However, a lot depends on the driver and the external circumstances. After a test lap in flat Miami, optimally tempered for a drive battery, our E-Smart still had 66 percent of the battery power after 53. Extrapolated, this results in a practical range of 140 kilometers. And not even the eco mode was activated, which cuts performance in the US specification we tested and thus frees up a few extra kilometers. For the German market, the ED will even get a clever eco mode with adaptive recuperation. With the help of a radar sensor, recuperation levels adapted to the traffic situation are selected.
The Renault drive not only works more efficiently, it is also quieter. While the buzzing sound of a tram was still very present in the predecessor, the new drive made less intrusive tones. In addition to a reduction in the high-frequency drive acoustics, the vehicle is generally quieter because the bodywork, which was also developed together with Renault, has been taught better manners in terms of noise and vibrations. The new ED is closer than ever to the much-cited ideal of supposedly silent e-mobility, which prompted Smart to optionally offer a sound generator. This warns pedestrians at speeds below 30 km / h, then the wind and rolling noise are enough.
Driving comfort has also improved noticeably. While the predecessor was a nervous hump, which sometimes passed the road conditions unfiltered upwards, the new one reacts pleasantly calmly to potholes. In addition, thanks to its wider track, the Smart is more rounded and more adult. Nevertheless, with a radius of 6,9 meters, it remains maneuverable. And it is also fun to drive because, thanks to the battery in the vehicle floor, it has a particularly low center of gravity, which is advantageous for brisk cornering.
Since the 60 kW / 81 PS strong engine always throws its full torque of 160 Newton meters spontaneously into the propulsion, the one-ton vehicle looks almost as lively in short sprints as a sports car. In the event of courageous sprints in city traffic, the passengers are pressed into the backrests. The air quickly becomes thin upwards. 100 seconds pass for the standard sprint to 11,5 km / h. A maximum of 130 km / h is possible, 5 km / h more than before.
Charging processes can also be brisker in the future. While the charging time at a standard socket with 230 volts and 12 amps continues to take a good six hours, a new standard on-board charger 7,2 can pump kWh into the battery instead of the previous 3,3, provided that a wallbox with 230 volts and 20 amps is available Supplies electricity. Then the 80 percent is reached after a good 3,5 hours. In addition, Smart will add an optional quick charger to the 2017 range in autumn, which shovels 3 percent energy into the battery in 230 minutes for 32 x 45 Volt and 80 Ampere. Although Smart is likely to charge a high three-digit sum for the fast charger, the responsible product manager Rouven Remp expects a high installation rate.
Despite several innovations and improvements, the price for the Fortwo Electric Drive Coupé by 1.700 fell to around 22.000 euros. This gratifying circumstance is mainly due to the lower production costs for the battery, for which Smart, by the way, has extended its warranty to 8 years. A warranty case would arise if the battery power drops below 70 percent of its original power.
In view of the price reduction, the Smart Fortwo ED is one of the cheapest electric vehicles on the market, especially since there are no additional costs for renting a battery. The e-car premium from 4.000 Euro currently provides an additional incentive to buy in Germany. But even subsidized, the Fortwo ED is still quite expensive compared to small cars with combustion engines. For the same money, you can also get two Renault Twingo that do not have a range handicap and also offer four seats. Speaking of four places: In the future, this will also be possible to offer an electric Smart as a Forfour, which will be launched in the spring for 22.600 Euro together with the Fortwo ED Cabrio (from 25.2000 Euro) and the coupé.
It is only between 2020 and 2025 that Mercedes expects a competitive price level compared to models with internal combustion engines in view of the steadily increasing degression in battery costs. (Mario Hommen / SP-X)