Daimler Says Smart EV on Schedule for 2012 Launch, Will Be Built in France

Daimler Says Smart EV on Schedule for 2012 Launch, Will Be Built in France

By John O'Dell October 8, 2009

Move over, Mini-E, Daimler reconfirmed this morning that  it will begin "large-scale production" of the Smart Fortwo EV in 2012 and will begin ramping up with limited production of a series of 1,000 test cars next month.

The automaker is backing that promise - which we initially reported in August - with a multi-million euro investment in outfitting the Smart plant in Hambach, France,  for production of the electric drive models, which will be sold in the U.S. and Europe.

The French government will provide tax credits and other incentives.

Daimler said that the first 1,000 electric Smarts would be delivered, beginning at the end of this year, to customers in Europe  and the U.S. - typically commercial and government fleets - in order to obtain "feedback from use under everyday conditions."

The automaker has been testing electric Smarts in limited programs in London and German since 2007 and earlier this year introduced a second-generation version of the car, with a battery pack developed and manufactured by California EV-maker Tesla Motors.
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The lithium-ion battery pack is mounted between the car's rear wheels and provides juice to run a 40-horsepower electric motor than kicks out 92 lb.-ft. of torque. That give the two-seat Smart rather snail-pace acceleration of 0-37 in 6.5 seconds, with top speed of 62 miles an hour, but it's designed as a commuter car for crowded cities, not a racer for California freeways.

Range, according to Smart, is about 70 miles on a charge, and a depleted battery can be fully recharged overnight from a standard 220-volt outlet.

John O'Dell:  is an AutoObserver Senior Editor. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.