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Daimler to deploy 250 electric Smart cars in US cities this fall

The Smart ForTwo electric vehicle promises an 82-mile range on a single charge

Motor manufacturer Daimler will launch its electric micro-car, the Smart ForTwo, in the United States this fall.

The company is aiming to catch the latest urban trend for more cleaner transport in urban areas with a roll-out of 250 electric vehicles in select regions of the country in October.

The Smart car is being distributed via Smart USA, a subsidiary of auto dealers Penske Automotive Group, Inc., headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

The vehicle will look exactly the same as its combustion engine counterpart – 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide – a vehicle that was originally designed with an eventual move to an electric powertrain in mind.

Powered by a 30kW motor and a 16.5kWh lithium-ion battery, the Smart ForTwo electric car will have a range of 82 miles on a single charge.

The vehicle will take three and a half hours to charge from 20% to 80% capacity with a standard 220V electrical outlet, eight hours for a full charge.

The battery can be charged using a common household 110V outlet, Daimler said.

“Independent spirit”

“The smart fortwo electric drive is the ultimate statement on innovative automotive conservation and further defines the brand’s independent spirit,” said Jill Lajdziak, president of smart USA. “As the United States sets goals on CO2 reduction and oil independence, the smart fortwo electric drive enters the market at the right time and in the right place as the purist’s play in transportation electrification with a no compromise design.”

The 250 vehicles to be deployed later this year will be targeted at “key electrification leadership cities”, which will be announced later this year.

A wider roll-out through Smart Center dealerships will begin in 2012, the company said.

Daimler said its US pilot program would provide information on the vehicle’s performance in a range of different areas and climates, helping with the wider roll-out from 2012.

More than a million conventional Smart ForTwo vehicles have been sold in 40 countries since 1998. Achieving a 41mpg mileage on the highway, the vehicle sells in the US from $11,990 to $20,990 excluding tax.