[Excalibur]

Informação oficial SMART

We’d like to introduce you to a car that’s designed to bring a breath of fresh air to the streets: the refreshingly new smart electric vehicle – or smart ev, as we call it.

It’s the natural product of smart’s unswerving commitment to the environment and innovation – not to mention fun.

It isn’t available to buy just yet, but it isn’t a million miles off.

Think of a fortwo.

Then think of an electric socket concealed behind what used to be the fuel cap.

Picture the complete absence of exhaust fumes, so no CO2 emissions from the rear.

Close your eyes and hear… no sound at all coming from the engine.

Imagine no engine oil, no road tax, and no London congestion charge and you’ll start to get a sense of what really makes the new smart ev tick.

Powered solely by electricity, and chargeable from any three-pin socket, the smart ev can achieve the equivalent of 300 mpg – that amounts to a saving of up to 80% in fuel costs over the already highly economical smart fortwo.

The ev can travel up to 72 miles between charges, which typically take around 8 hours for a full charge – ideal for charging at work between your morning and evening commutes.

If your journey takes you into the capital, you will find free electricity provided by some London boroughs, as well as free or discounted parking.

With a top-up charge during the day, the smart ev's daily range weights in at 100 miles.

With that in mind, we’re running a market trial with selected blue chip companies who are happy to meet our requirements to power the cars using only renewable energy sources.

When we say zero emissions, we really mean it! Among the partners already enrolled in the trial are The Energy Saving Trust, Islington and Coventry Councils, Lloyds Pharmacy, The CarbonNeutral Company, EDF Energy and BT.

What’s more, our ev hasn’t had to sacrifice any of the fortwo’s performance or class-leading equipment: expect the full complement of Mercedes-Benz safety features and a top speed of 70 mph courtesy of a powerful Zytek electric motor.

Once it’s up to speed (0-30mph in an impressive 6.5 seconds) the ev uses its tiny weight gain to deliver an exciting and stable drive.

So there you have it: a zero emission vehicle that is 100% smart; a car that will save money and the environment. Although the smart ev won’t be available to the public just yet, it’s definitely something we’re working on. What’s more, in the second half of 2007, customers will be able to try it out at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands. We’ll be interested to hear what you think.

SMART EV