Smart Electric to the UK | Green Energy News

July 9, 2006 – Vol.11 No.16

SMART ELECTRIC TO THE UK.

It’s said that DaimlerChrysler’s smart car was originally designed by watch maker Swatch as an electric car, or perhaps a hybrid. (small “s” smart is to emphasize small car, according to the company.)

Until now the company has only provided gas and diesel versions. Now is now and smart is in the process of electrifying a small fleet of smart fortwo’s for a trial market run in the UK.

There will be only 200 smart ev’s built to be leased to selected corporate customers in the UK. Deliveries will be in November.

The smart ev will have a 30-kilowatt electric drive motor and a top speed of 70 miles per hour. The company says it will have better around town performance than the gasoline version and should scoot to 30 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds. Range on a full battery charge is expected to be about 72 miles.

The electric drive for the smart ev was developed by Zytek of the UK which had also built a hybrid version of the car.

smart will also be seeking renewable energy from the grid to keep the cars charged to deliver zero emissions from well - to -wheels, as it were.

smart, through DaimlerChrysler and Mercedes, has already announced that it will begin selling the next generation of smart cars in the US in 2008. Will it bring the next generation car to the US with electric power as an option? Much could depend on the price of oil by then. Visit smart at http://www.smart.com/ , Zytek at http://www.zytek.co.uk/