With a range of 65 miles and top speed of 60 mph, the electric version of Smart's ForTwo coupe has difficulty justifying itself, especially against other electric cars hitting the market.
The Smart coupe would appear to be an excellent platform for an electric car. The gasoline version weighs less than 2,000 pounds. But its small size works against it, limiting the size of the battery.
Smart refitted the coupe with an electric drive, replacing the lower rear-mounted engine and gas tank with a 16.5 kWh lithium ion battery pack and 41 horsepower electric motor.
The battery is on the small side for a pure electric car, giving the Smart only 65 miles range in EPA testing. Smart also limited the top speed to 60 mph, which is slow for Interstates.
The plug-in port is on the rear right side of the car, in the same spot as the gasoline filler in the standard Smart coupe. The plug is a standard J1772 electric car configuration.
Smart says that, when plugged into a 220-volt outlet, the batteries charge to full in under 8 hours. It can also be charged from a 110-volt source, but charging will take considerably longer.
Besides the electric drive system, the Smart Electric Drive is identical to a standard Smart coupe. It has drum brakes in the rear and disc brakes up front. The suspension leads to a rough ride because of the short wheelbase.
The instrument cluster shows minimal information, just a speedometer and a spare LCD. Missing from this display is remaining range, something other electric cars emphasize.