Smart ForTwo Electric Is the Most Affordable EV at $25,000
The third-generation Smart ForTwo Electric was unveiled and priced this week, as it officially debuted at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The coupe starts at $25,000, the convertible at $28,000. (It’s unclear whether the pricing includes destination.) That makes the ForTwo Electric the most affordable EV on the market today; the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV costs $29,975, the 2012 Nissan Leaf $36,050 and the 2013 Ford Focus Electric $39,995.
Pricing is substantially better than the second-generation ForTwo electric, which started at $44,837, even though the model was only available through a $599-a-month lease program.
The third-generation model features a new electric-drive system that can propel the EV from zero to 60 mph in 12 seconds, with a top sped top speed of 78 mph — about the same acceleration and top-speed figures as the regular ForTwo. A new lithium-ion battery performs better and is more reliable, according to Daimler, Smart’s parent. The 240-volt plug can charge the battery in just six hours; it took eight hours with the previous model. Smart hasn’t stated the range of the new ForTwo Electric but says it will be better than the 63-mile range of the previous version.
All ForTwo Electrics come with standard automatic headlights and automatic rain-sensing wipers. The ForTwo Electric coupe and convertible will enter the U.S. market in the spring.
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25K looks like an affordable price. But will it be possible to reduce the battery range to 20 miles and add a small engine to charge it and sell the vehicle for 20K as a plugin. Plugins eliminate the range anxiety.
@Max,
not a bad idea...it's probably easy to arm chair quarterback product development, but i'm with you. it seems like it would be really inexpensive for smart (daimler) to use something like honda's IMA or GM's mild hybrid set up with the smart's existing 1.0L 3-cylinder...and maybe a CVT or a 5/6sp manual transmission to get some serious mileage out of this city car.