Smart currently has an electric version of its little ForTwo runabout... um, running about in Europe known as the Smart ed. Using a a sodium-nickel-chloride (commonly called a Zebra) battery, the 41 horse electric motor has plenty of power to move the vehicle around, and urban performance is actually said to be improved over the standard model. So far, the electric smart has only been for testing, but that looks to be changing rather soon. According to Dieter Zetsche, a fully electric ForTwo will be on sale to the public beginning in 2010.
We would expect the production model to be equipped with lithium batteries and have better range than the Zebra-equipped models currently on the roads. So far, no firm pricing information has been provided, though Dr. Z says he doesn't believe consumers would be willing to pay a large surcharge. The total cost of the smart ev would also depend on whether the automaker chooses to sell the batteries with the car or lease them seperately -- both options are currently on the table. We look forward to hearing more about the new model in the coming months, especially to find out what markets will be blessed with its presence. Stay tuned. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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