World premiere of the fourth generation smart electric drive

The smart electric drive's combination of agility and local emission-free driving means opting-in to electric mobility is more attractive than ever. Fourth generation electric driving pleasure will be offered in the smart fortwo coupe and smart fortwo cabrio, making the ideal urban mobility solution even better. smart will soon be the only car manufacturer worldwide to offer its model range with both combustion engines and pure battery-electric drive. The smart electric drive celebrated its world premiere at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, while its highly-anticipated Canadian market launch is slated for spring 2017.

"The smart is already the perfect city car, and with electric drive it becomes a little bit more perfect," said Annette Winkler, Head of smart. "This is why we will soon be offering our entire range – smart fortwo coupe, smart fortwo cabrio and even our smart forfour – as all-electric versions. We are joining legions of smart fans, as well as enthusiastic drivers of the three preceding generations, in looking forward to the unique driving fun offered by the new smart electric drive. Very attractive prices only add to our anticipation, especially in countries where there is a buyer's premium."

The new generation smart electric drive at a glance:

• smart is the only car manufacturer worldwide to offer its model range with both combustion engines and pure battery-electric drive; the smart fortwo coupe, smart fortwo cabrio and smart forfour (not available in Canada) are all available as electric drive models.
• The smart fortwo cabrio is the only electric cabriolet on the market.
• With torque of 118 lb-ft, the 80 hp electric smart fortwo boasts exceedingly agile acceleration.
• The fully-charged battery has sufficient power to cover approximately 160 kilometres (NEDC), making it ideal for urban use (official Canadian range not yet available).
• A high-performance, on-board charger allows the new smart electric drive to be charged at a faster rate than its predecessor.

smart electric drive: agile, quiet, local emission-free urban driving
The fourth generation smart electric drive is as agile and lively as ever, aided by an ultra-small turning circle that, at 6.95 metres for the two-seater, matches the performance of the conventional drive model. Electric driving with smart provides an incredibly broad scope for customization, too, with a robust range of colours and optional equipment on offer.

Charging time is an important factor for electric vehicle customers, too, and the new smart electric drive boasts major improvements. All models have a new, powerful on-board charger as a standard feature. In Canada, the smart's charging time (20-100%) at a level II Charging station (wallbox) is approximately 2.5 hours – half as long as for its predecessor. Further, the "smart control" app allows the charging process to be conveniently monitored and many more functions, such as intelligent charging, to be controlled remotely.
All smart fortwo electric drive models are series-produced at smart's Hambach plant. Each comes equipped with a battery from Daimler subsidiary Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE, which is based in Kamenz, Saxony, and has been building the electric heart of the smart electric drive since 2012.

The 80 hp electric motor is located at the rear of the smart electric drive, and transmits its power via a constant ratio to the wheels. Powerful torque of 118 lb-ft is immediately available from a standstill. As defined by the NEDC, the European range is approximately 160 km (official Canadian range not yet available), while the maximum speed is electronically limited to 130 km/h to maximize its range.

Thanks to the electric motor's power characteristics, the smart requires a single fixed gear ratio, and there is no need for any gear changing – a major advantage in dense city traffic. The engine's direction of rotation changes in order for the vehicle to travel in reverse. The drive is produced in Renault's plant in Cléon, Northern France.

The data for the new smart electric drive at a glance:

As well as the basic transmission mode, the driver can select ECO mode, which is designed to facilitate a particularly efficient driving style. In ECO mode, when braking or in overrun mode, the vehicle's kinetic energy is converted into electrical energy in a process called recuperation. Additionally, the smart's maximum speed is limited, the accelerator pedal curve is adjusted, and the maximum recuperation level is pre-selected.

To save energy and extend its range, the smart electric drive also comes with pre-entry climate control. This feature enables the desired temperature to be reached in the vehicle's interior while it is still charging.

Functions including pre-entry climate control can be controlled remotely via the "smart control" app, which provides convenient access to electric drive information via smartphone, tablet or PC.

The extensive standard equipment of conventional drive models is surpassed by smart electric drive models, which have a dashboard instrument with power metre and battery status display, and heated seats and a heated steering wheel for maximum climate comfort. A variety of combinations of colours and optional equipment is available, allowing for maximum customization.

Electric mobility history at smart
smart's pioneering role in the field of electric mobility started in 2007, when the first electrically-driven test fleet arrived in London, England. That initiative saw 100 smart fortwo electric drives take to the roads of the British capital, where they were met with great success.

In 2009, smart launched the second generation of the smart fortwo electric drive, introducing the model to 18 markets. The company's objective was to gather as much information as possible about how customers used and charged electric vehicles. Huge demand exceeded all expectations: instead of the planned 1000 vehicles, more than 2000 smart fortwo electric drives were produced in Hambach.

In 2012, the third generation smart fortwo electric drive succeeded in winning over buyers with its innovative, forward-looking drive concept, while in 2013 the smart fortwo was the first all-electric vehicle from a European importer to be sold in China. In Germany, the electric smart established itself as the market leader among battery-electric vehicles, quickly achieving a market share of around 40 percent, and maintained this position for three years in a row.

Outside of Canada, the smart electric drive also made its mark in the car2go fleet, accounting for 1400 cars in three cities. As part of car2go, the smart electric drive has covered more than 35 million km in demanding, everyday use since its launch.

About smart Canada
smart Canada is responsible for the sales, marketing and service for the smart brand in Canada. Produced in one of the most modern and environmentally friendly plants in the world in Hambach, France, the smart fortwo is a safe, comfortable and extremely versatile vehicle. Since the launch of the smart fortwo in Canada in the fall of 2004, smart Canada's nationwide network of 57 dealers across the country have sold more than 27,000 smart fortwo vehicles.

Further information about the smart fortwo can be found online at www.media.mercedes-benz.ca, www.smart.com, facebook.com/smartCanada and twitter.com/smartCanada.

For more information, please contact:

JoAnne Caza
416-847-7550
joanne.caza@mercedes-benz.ca

Sinead Brown
416-847-7588
sinead.brown@mercedes-benz.ca