“With the start of the series production of the smart fortwo electric drive, the Hambach plant enters a new era – at the same time, the smart fortwo emphazises its pioneering role on the way to individual mobility with local zero-emissions in cities and urban areas," Marc Langenbrinck, smart brand managing director said in a release.
"Its innovative battery-electric drive makes the smart fortwo the ideal vehicle for the city: it combines responsibility to the environment with driving fun and joie de vivre in a virtually perfect manner,” continued Langenbrinck.
The smart fortwo will use a new battery, sourced from Tesla Motors, housed between the axles to save space in the two-seater. It powers a 30 kW magneto-electric motor fitted at the rear. The motor provides 120 Nm of torque instantly, allowing the electric fortwo to reach the impressive naught to sixty acceleration time 6.5 seconds.
As said, Daimler will build initially only 1,000 units, which will be used in various mobility projects, aimed at promoting electric vehicles and generate feedback. From 2012, the electric smart will enter the regular smart line-up.
As for the plant where it was built, it is a facility opened by Daimler in 1997, with production of smart vehicles beginning one year later. The facility employs a little over 800 people and rolled off some 140,000 units of the regular fortwo in 2008.
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