Like a
middle child, the Smart Fortwo Electric is clearly
misunderstood. Why? Simply because most people are
unrealistic as to the expectations of having a fully
electric car. In reality, most of the daily needs can be
done seamlessly by a car like the Smart Fortwo. The idea was
for me to use only this car the entire week I had it and
with its 57-mile range, it would be a challenge, or so I
thought. My typical drive is a 20 mile each way work
commute, throw in a couple of trips to lunch, dinner, the
supermarket, a weekend drive to the local general aviation
airport and of course, hanging out with my car buddies at
the weekly cars and coffee in the uber-chic Wynwood
neighborhood of Miami. It’s a lot of different driving,
especially for a 57-mile range electric car. Read on and
find out how it went. I’ll preface with a note stating that
I am lucky that to have a multiple car garage in my house
with electrical outlets, in addition to my office having a
parking space next to an outlet. That made the big
difference in how I could maximize the use of the Smart
Fortwo Electric during my active week.
The
design is still a bit of a surprise to most people,
primarily due to its diminutive size. The 2nd gen
is a bit bolder and larger than the 1st one, yet
still extremely small in the land of giant SUV’s. The model
we tested is the Passion with the optional matte paint and
black sporty wheels. Approaching the Smart Fortwo Electric,
you notice the size of the door relative to the rest of the
car, its huge! Once you open it and sit inside, you are
greeted with a surprisingly comfortable cabin. Seats, head
and shoulder room is quite good and visibility is excellent.
Switchgear, fit and finish is pretty good, although not as
refined as in the Mercedes-Benz lineup. The Cabrio version
we drove has an innovative quasi-convertible top that gives
the occupants the great al-fresco feeling, yet
keeping the rigidity and safety of a hard-top car. There are
several detents during retraction of the top, the first is
more like a sunroof, the second is like a traditional
Italian rag-top and the third, which is at full extension,
is almost convertible-like. Trunk space is big enough for a
small grocery run or a typical weekend bag.
Picture
this, being first at a traffic light and the light turns
green! Accelerating effortlessly and smartly (Excuse the
pun) off the line, leaving pretty much everything in the
dust up to 30-35 MPH. It’s that quick! After 260 miles
driving for everything I did that week, I realized that the
sweet spot for this car is exactly what most people do in
their cars in a city, which is stop and go and drive under
45 MPH. Entering tight parking spaces, turning, or doing a
full circle (22.8 feet turning radius) is actually fun, try
that! Big SUV! Above 60-65 MPH (Top speed is limited to 81
MPH) the power consumption starts to go way up and range
suffers greatly. We also noted that due to its very small
wheel base, the ride can be a bit choppy over bumps. How is
it driving on a crowded highway, full of inattentive texters
and bored SUV drivers? Surprisingly a non-issue. Not once
did I feel unsafe or intimidated by the larger cars around
me. Quite the contrary, due to its superb maneuverability I
could scoot in and out of traffic gaps incredibly easily.
One last driving impression; even though the Smart Fortwo
Electric does feel somewhat sporty, steering and brakes
feedback is somewhat numb. I wish the wizards at Smart would
dial-in a bit more feel, as this is a rather fun car to
drive.
A
240-volt Level II charger will make the biggest difference
in the ownership experience. This size charging system will
go from 0-100% charge in just 3 hours, otherwise, the
110-volt, standard wall socket charger, will take up to 16+
hrs to charge fully from zero.
The key
to owning this is to always plug-in (if available) wherever
you go. It does take discipline and a bit of effort. I
didn’t mind it at all.
Lastly,
for my weekly, Sunday morning cars and coffee event, I took
the Smart Fortwo and parked it perpendicular to all the
parallel parked cars there. That certainly made a statement.
Most of the regulars came over and they wanted to poke
around the Smart Fortwo, asking questions and being curious.
I even took several for a spin and they came back amazed.
Mind you, this is a jaded crowd, as most have gorgeous
classic and specialty car collections and all are die-hard
car enthusiasts. The Smart Fortwo took center stage for most
of the two hours at the event and I was blown away by the
level of interest it got. That was fun!
If you
drive mainly around town, have a place to install a 240-volt
charging system and don’t need to haul large things, the
Smart Fortwo Electric may be a fun, eco-friendly alternative
that is sure to put a smile on your face every time you
drive it. Once you drive one you will clearly understand.
Note: A
longer range, (Up to 124 miles) model will be available
later in 2018.
The
Essentials:
MSRP:
$24,550.00
MSRP (As tested): $30,880.00*
Economy: 130 MPGe
Motor: Three-phase synchronous motor rated at 80 HP and 118
Lb/Ft of Torque
Range: 57 miles
Popular Options: Lighting and sport packages, heated seats,
rain and light sensor, JBL sound system,
Visit:
www.smartusa.com
*Currently, there is a $7,500.00 Federal tax rebate
available for new electric car buyers