By the end of 2017, the Smart brand will distribute only the electric versions of the fortwo city car in North America. A definitive farewell to fossil fuels.
If it is true that "red sky at night, shepherd's delight," that the calm comes before the storm, and that a rush of air always precedes the avalanche, then it is equally undeniable that when an automotive brand bets exclusively on battery propulsion, the future of mobility can only be electric. Especially when such a choice means giving up importing the traditional version of its flagship car into one of the most important markets in the world. A clear-cut stance, taken by the manufacturer Smart, which by the end of 2017 will distribute exclusively its zero-emission city car range in the United States and Canada.
The battery-powered shift by the German brand, strongly supported at the highest levels of the American division of parent company Mercedes-Benz, has already been communicated to dealers and entails stopping the distribution of petrol-powered versions by the end of 2017. Dietmar Exler, chief executive of Mercedes USA, has stated that "it is the market itself that is calling for this change. With the launch of the fourth generation of the fortwo electric drive, the Smart range will consist exclusively of the zero-emission coupé and cabrio variants of our city cars." This change of course is driven both by ethical and ecological convictions and by figures showing that, between 2014 and 2016, the brand's sales across the Atlantic fell from over 10,000 units to just over 6,000, of which 10 per cent were battery-powered.
Smart's evolution is far from an isolated choice, as it forms part of the broader electrification plan of the Mercedes-Benz group, which envisages the launch of ten battery-powered models by 2025. A further injection of sustainable vitality following the presentation, at the recent Paris Motor Show, of the fortwo ED and the five-door forfour; the latter — not distributed in the States — available with zero emissions for the first time. A debut that allowed Smart to become the first manufacturer in the world capable of offering its entire range in both a traditional configuration — that is, powered by a combustion engine — and an electric one. A position of strength that goes hand in hand with a further record, as the fortwo cabrio ED is the only zero-emission cabriolet currently on the market.
Compared to the previous generation of electric city cars, power has grown — now 82 hp — as has the declared maximum range, in the region of 160 kilometres for the fortwo coupé and 155 kilometres for the rest of the ED (Electric Drive) range. These figures are accompanied by a torque of 160 Nm and an electronically limited top speed of 130 km/h. The performance figures are noteworthy: the fortwo ED accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 11.5 seconds, rising to 11.8 seconds in the case of the cabrio. Charging the lithium-ion batteries takes less than 45 minutes, rather than an hour as with the previous generation, thanks to a 22-kilowatt-hour supercharger. Using a standard domestic socket, a full charge takes six hours; a time that is halved when using a wallbox. The electric shift, at least at Smart, has begun. Will it prove to be the classic rush of air that heralds the "sustainable avalanche"?