smart fortwo electric drive Gets Its Wings

Fashion Designer, Jeremy Scott, partners with smart to redesign the interior & exterior of the smart fortwo electric drive

For smart owners looking for yet another way to standout from the crowd, smart has partnered with internationally renowned fashion designer, Jeremy Scott, producing a one of a kind smart fortwo. With Jeremy’s trademark wings, the electric car is ready for lift-off into a new era of mobility.  The smart forjeremy has pair of wings that light up like igniting rockets to form inventive rear lights. The smart forjeremy showcar, which will be launched next year as a limited special edition, was unveiled on the eve of the LA Auto Show at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, with music provided by M.I.A.

“We were totally enthusiastic about the first sketches that Jeremy presented to us”, said Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart, during the world premiere. “Both smart and the wings represent a bit of freedom on the crowded streets of major cities. In their respective disciplines, both the fashion designer Jeremy Scott and the smart brand are pioneering trendsetters, venturing into uncharted territories and challenging the status quo.”

Wings – the symbol for carefree driving fun

True to form, the cooperation itself was out of the ordinary, smart being the first car brand to permit a fashion designer to make changes to the vehicle’s body. As Head of Mercedes-Benz and smart design Gorden Wagener explains: “Cooperations with fashion designers are normally limited to selecting interior materials and interior and exterior colour schemes. With Jeremy Scott, however, we wanted to go one step further and integrated the typical wings as a central design element in the vehicle body. This was quite a challenge, because it was not just a case of creating a showcar, but rather of creating a near-series study with the potential for licensing it for road use in the future.”

Wings are one of the recurring design elements used by Jeremy Scott to great effect. Be it sweatshirts, sunglasses or sneakers, winged motifs crop up again and again in his collections. “For me, wings mean freedom, a sense of weightlessness. Because of this, I definitely wanted to have them for the smart electric drive in order to convey the way it frees the environment of noxious emissions and symbolises the new lightness of mobility”, explains Jeremy Scott, who, in addition to his fashion collections, also creates unique costumes for pop stars such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, Katy Perry and Rihanna.

smart forjeremy – an electrifying love story

Within eight months, Jeremy Scott had developed the smart forjeremy together with designers of the “smart Design Division” at the Mercedes-Benz Cars Advanced Design Studios in Carlsbad, California. Gorden Wagener says: “Working with Jeremy was fantastic – he is a veritable fireball of creativity”. With the typical stylish design of the smart fortwo to inspire him, the international fashion giant came up with a whole host of visionary ideas.

All of which results in an avant-garde and futuristic smart with loving details based on the overriding wing theme. The smart forjeremy is painted in bright white, against which the chrome-plated tridion cell glistens like a jewel. On either side of the vehicle is a wing made of transparent fibreglass and decorated with rocket-shaped elements that light up red, serving as rear and brake lights. “Transparency was a very important factor for me, since it represents lightness and space”, explains the designer.

The vehicle’s dynamic, self-assured look is further enhanced by means of wider rear tyres and wider rear wheel arches. The wheel rims are shaped like aeroplane propellers, giving the impression that the electric smart might take off at any minute. With the elegantly curved “eyebrows” above its front headlights, the smart forjeremy conveys both untamed curiosity and unbridled joy. Complementing the tridion cell, the eyebrows are bright chromium plated, as are the top half of the mirror caps and the frame around the radiator grille.

Luxurious interior – a dream in white

The exclusive and elegant marriage of white and glistening chrome accents is continued in the interior of the vehicle, creating an undeniably luxurious look. Together with interior designers of the “smart Design Division” in Sindelfingen, Jeremy Scott chose fine white nappa leather for the instrument panel, seats and door trim. Whilst the instrument panel features minimalist seams, the seat insert areas and the centre panels in the doors boast extravagant diamond stitching. The gleaming chrome surfaces of the main door trim and typical smart elements such as the closing handles, the side boomerangs of the instrument panel and the characteristic rings on the dashboard instruments form an elegant contrast to the matt white.

Shaped like a jet engine, the bright chromium plated side air inlets complete the wing theme on the exterior. The white steering wheel with two chrome spokes is open at the top, further enhancing the sporty, sweeping impression of lightness.

“We will also launch a limited special edition of the smart forjeremy in 2013”, Winkler said. “And I really look forward to cruising the city in this item of haute couture.”

Exciting and stylish driving fun – without any emissions

The smart forjeremy is based on the current production version of the smart fortwo electric drive. With its 55 kW electric motor the smart fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 – 60 km/h in 4.8 seconds, and with a maximum speed of 125 km/h driving pleasure is also guaranteed on urban motorways. The 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery enables the urban two-seater to travel approximately 145 kilometres in city traffic without producing any local emissions.

smart fortwo electric drive eball Game Is the Future

smart eball is an interactive game that shows off the dynamism and agility of the electrically driven smart fortwo

At this year’s international Art Directors Club awards, smart won “gold” in the category of “Interactive/ Physical Innovations” with its interactive eball game.

In technical terms, smart eball is an interactive game that shows off the dynamism and agility of the electrically driven smart fortwo. But one look at the game and you are instantly taken back to the ’70s when Pong was the latest and greatest in the gaming world. In Pong, it was a a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics, eball is a similar ping pong-like game that uses digital bats to knock the ball back and forth on LED screens. The digital bats are moved by driving two actual smart fortwo electric drives forward and back while being monitored with the aid of a laser measuring and transmission technology system.

“We wanted participants to experience the incredible driving fun of the electric smart and smart eball achieved that perfectly,” says Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart. “The aim of the game was understood immediately and anyone can just dive straight in – it’s just as intuitive and straightforward as our smart electric drive.”

The eball game was also used at the world premiere of the smart fortwo electric drive at the 2011 International Motor Show in Frankfurt and was enjoyed enthusiastically by all. In total, more than 1,500 games of eball have been played and the number is still on the rise.

The Art Directors Clu,b or ADC, is a professional association of art directors from the advertising sector, founded in New York in 1920 with the aim of promoting the highest standards in advertising and mentoring the next generation. As a big international prize the ADC Award is one of the most important awards in the advertising industry..

The 91st ADC Awards ceremony will be held at a large gala in New York on May 8th.

smart for-us Urban Pickup Will Premiere In Detroit

smart is turning the automotive world upside down once again and challenging ideas about what an urban pickup should look like

When I hear the term “urban pickup”, images of the Clampetts fresh off a new oil discovery immediately come to mind. smart, however, had a slightly different vision of what an urban pickup should be and they called it the for-us.  It is designed for the young and those that still think they are young with active lifestyles that are conscious of the footprint they are leaving behind.  Don’t confuse low emission driving with small and slow, the smart for-us is designed to have a practical loading concept that helps to maximize interior space.  The for-us  also has a state-of-the-art electric drive with a55 kW magneto-electric motor that gives the driver a speedy response.

smart is turning the automotive world upside down once again and challenging ideas about what an urban pickup should look like. In a tongue-in-cheek manner the for-us signals that this is the right car for the young and young-at-heart with active lives who attach importance to low emissions and taking up minimum road space. The smart for-us translates the practical loading concept of a pickup to the reality of 21st century urban traffic for the first time.

With its exterior dimensions (length/width/height: 3547/1506/1701mm) it could almost go unnoticed on the loading area of a typical pickup, and it also anything but ordinary under the body. Thanks to the state-of-the-art electric drive with a55 kW magneto-electric motor the zero-emission smart for-us is agile and lively to drive. It will celebrate its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (January 14-22, 2012).

smart CEO Dr. Annette Winkler says “We at smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!”

Like car2go, the globally successful car sharing initiative from smart for more flexibility in city traffic, the smart for-us is a mobility concept. It has plenty of room for two people and space for two smart ebikes behind them. Thanks to the docking station on the cargo area of the smart for-us their batteries are always charged, and smart for-us drivers can also reach destinations that are out of bounds for cars – for example traffic-calmed zones in the city or isolated park trails.

The design: sassy and robust with extremely short overhangs

Compared with the series-produced fortwo the smart for-us makes a powerful statement and its appearance plays with the martial image of conventional mega-pickups. Nevertheless, it greets the viewer with a friendly yet assertive face. It features convex and sensuously shaped body surfaces. The large brand emblem is proudly sported on the grille, and the front has a pronounced three-dimensional design with an underride guard finishing off the lower part of the front end.

The longer wheelbase (2480 mm/plus 613 mm) and the track that has been widened by 50 mm on each side also emphasise the robust look of the study. At the same time the extremely short overhangs at the front and rear make it exceedingly compact.

The tailboard at the rear of the smart for-us is electrically driven. When it opens first of all the cargo floor including tailboard retracts by 280 mm, then the tailgate slides down in a parallel position. The cargo on the 900 mm cargo area is then extremely easy to access.

Sleek, taut surfaces in mother-of-pearl white combined with precisely designed technical functional elements in brushed aluminium – the interior is characterised by contrasts. Like in the smart forvision, the whole cockpit boasts aerodynamic styling for interior ventilation. In place of a conventional rear-view mirror the smart for-us features a smartphone accommodated in a holder on top of the instrument panel support. The driver can see what is happening on the road behind with the help of an integrated video camera.

Stylish, uncomplicated, highly functional and easy to individualise – the two seats in the concept car are typically smart. The seat shells, which are open in the middle, are covered with a soft yellow fabric throw giving them a hammock-like seating feel.

Electric drive – zero-local-emission driving fun

The electric drive of the smart for-us is based on the innovative drive concept of the smart fortwo electric drive, which will be launched in the spring of 2012. Thanks to the 55 kW magneto-electric motor the smart for-us is agile and lively to drive. With 130 Newton metres of torque it boasts powerful, lag-free acceleration and it can overtake other vehicles with the greatest of ease. The maximum speed exceeds 120 km/h. The lithium-ion battery has capacity of 17.6 kWh.

North America’s First All-Electric Carsharing Network by car2go Starts Today

San Diego officially launched North America's first all-electric carsharing network, making emissions-free driving widely available

car2go N.A., LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler North America Corporation, and the City of San Diego today officially launched North America’s first all-electric carsharing network, making emissions-free driving a widely available and affordable transportation option for all of San Diego.

A New Way to Get Around

The car2go smart fortwo electric drive carsharing network provides San Diego drivers with unmatched flexibility and convenience in urban mobility. Starting today, and for the first time in the history of North America, an entire city will have on-demand access to a large network of electric drive cars.

“car2go has set a new milestone in terms of flexible and tailor-made individual mobility. As the innovation leader in the automotive industry, we strive to serve our worldwide customers not only with leading-edge technology but also with groundbreaking new concepts,” said Thomas Weber, the Daimler Board of Management member responsible for research and development. “Therefore, we accelerate the rollout of this cutting-edge mobility concept. Starting Nov. 18, 2011, San Diego will be part of the innovative worldwide car2go network with a fleet of emission-free smart fortwo electric drive.”

car2go began deploying 300 smart fortwo electric drive vehicles Friday in San Diego, which are now in service and available for use.

“car2go’s investment here is another major step toward making San Diego the nation’s electric-vehicle capital,” said Mayor Jerry Sanders. “This carsharing program gives San Diegans a clean transportation option and complements walkable lifestyles in our city’s urban communities.”

Revolutionizing the Carsharing Industry

Unlike traditional carsharing programs, car2go meets the daily needs of members by providing a free-floating network of vehicles that is truly available on-demand for point-to-point trips. Members can use car2go with or without a reservation, for as long as they would like, without having to commit to a return time or location.

“We have designed car2go to be convenient and flexible, to meet the demands of everyday life, and to fit the lifestyle of our members,” said Nicholas Cole, president and CEO of car2go N.A., LLC. “It is as easy as having access to your own vehicle, and in some cases, like in densely populated downtown areas such as San Diego, it can actually be easier. car2go fills the gap between where you are and where you want to be.”

San Diegans will now have access to the car2go network of electric vehicles 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When they’re finished using the vehicle, members can park in a car2go-designated spot, at city non-restricted meters or on-street in residential neighborhoods within the car2go operating area. Parking, recharging, insurance and maintenance are included. Members pay by the minute, and only for the time they use the vehicle, with discounted rates for hourly and daily use.

“San Diego is a progressive city focused on a sustainable future. Starting today, San Diegans who have dreamed of owning an electric vehicle but could not, now can enjoy the benefits of electric vehicles and become part of an emissions-free mobility revolution,” said Cole. “car2go is revolutionizing the carsharing industry and the future of urban mobility. The launch of car2go in San Diego will serve as a model for other cities around the world that are looking for ways to reduce emissions, alleviate congestion, and create a more sustainable environment for their residents.”

smart fortwo electric drive With Zero-Emissions Soon Available Worldwide

The battery allows the smart fortwo electric drive to travel nearly 87 miles in city traffic without producing any local emissions

The third generation smart fortwo electric drive offering zero-emissions will be available beginning in the spring of 2012. Following on the heels of the second generation’s success, the next generation smart will give electric mobility to all those interested in more than 30 markets worldwide. In the development of the new generation smart benefited from extensive experience and customer feedback gathered worldwide over the past years. Driven by a battery supplied by Deutsche Accumotive for the first time the 55 kW electric motor passes the 74mph mark. From 0 to 62 mph in less than 13 seconds – even driving on urban motorways becomes enjoyable. The 17.6 kWh battery enables the smart fortwo electric drive to travel around 87 miles in city traffic without producing any local emissions.

“The smart fortwo has exceeded itself. It has always been a pioneer of urban mobility and with the new electric drive it is once again setting standards with even more driving fun and environmental compatibility,” says Dr. Annette Winkler, Head of smart. “With the new generation the frequently cited “electric era” has finally arrived.” For the further development of the smart fortwo electric drive the company was able to bring in extensive experience and customer feedback from various electric mobility projects. For example, this is reflected in clearly improved performance data. Driven for the first time by energy from a battery supplied by Deutsche Accumotive the 55 kW electric motor effortlessly passes the 120 km/h mark. The smart developers were also able to realise the more powerful acceleration requested by customers. From 0 to 100 km/h in less than 13 seconds – even filtering into traffic on urban motorways is a pleasure. The 17.6 kWh battery enables the lively city car to travel considerably more than 140 kilometres without producing any local emissions.

Ever since 1998 the smart has been revolutionising urban mobility like no vehicle before it. Compact, agile, environmentally friendly and stylish – it has evolved from a practical small car to a lifestyle product and has long become a familiar sight on the roads of cities around the world.

With the start of the first electrically driven test fleet in 2007 in London smart also took on a pioneering role in the area of electric mobility when 100 smart fortwo electric drives took to the roads of the British capital – with great success. Today the vehicle is a trendsetter and a synonym for forward-looking battery-electric-driven urban mobility of the future.

One of the largest electric fleets worldwide

With the introduction of the second generation in 2009 the smart fortwo electric drive was ready to take to the roads. The electrically driven avant-gardiste from Stuttgart was introduced in 18 markets. The objective of the second generation was to gather as much experience as possible about how customers use and charge electric vehicles. The huge demand exceeded all expectations. Instead of the planned 1000 vehicles more than 2000 smart fortwo electric drives are being produced in Hambach. This means that smart has one of the largest fleets of electrically driven vehicles on the roads worldwide and a trove of customer experience and wishes that have been input in the third generation smart fortwo electric drive.

A higher top speed and better acceleration at speeds above 37 mph were right at the top of the customers’ list of priorities.

Contrary to prevailing opinion the range wasn’t the crucial point from the perspective of the test customers. The vast majority of users confirmed the results of surveys which say that people drive approximately 30 to 40 kilometres per day on average in urban areas and they expressed great satisfaction with the range of their smart.

Even better in the third generation

With total production amounting to a five-figure number, from the spring of 2012 the further developed smart fortwo electric drive will start winning wide-ranging buyers in more than 30 countries for an innovative and forward-looking drive concept.

The third generation smart fortwo electric drive features a 55 kW magneto-electric motor – the first product from the EM-motive joint venture founded together with Bosch – which ensures that it is as agile and lively as ever. With torque of 130 Newton metres it accelerates powerfully and immediately from 0 to 60 km/h in 5 seconds and thanks to better acceleration in the higher speed range it can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 13 seconds as it has much more tractive power than its predecessor. This makes for speedy driving and overtaking. The battery-electric two-seater smart fortwo now also has a higher top speed of more than 120 km/h, putting it on a par with the combustion-engined smart.

A battery supplied by Deutsche ACCUmotive is fitted in the new smart fortwo electric drive for the first time. With capacity of 17.6 kWh the lithium-ion battery from the joint venture with Evonik Industries provides for well over 140 kilometres of pollutant-free driving fun. In addition to the higher battery capacity clear improvements have been made to the efficiency of the drive system, resulting in a greater range. When completely empty it takes a maximum of eight hours to fully charge the battery at a household socket or charging station on the electricity systems of most countries i.e. overnight.

Quick charging in just one hour

For the greater freedom of quick charging it is possible to optionally equip the vehicle with a quick-charging function. The 22 kW on-board charger enables a completely empty battery to be fully charged in less than an hour. A power cable is needed for this which is used to connect the vehicle to a public quick-charging station or a wallbox at home or work.

A comparison of the two smart fortwo electric drive generations

Second generation Third generation
Production volume > 2000 vehicles Five-figure production volume
Availability 18 markets More than 30 markets
Output 20 kW constant
30 kW peak
35 kW constant
55 kW peak
Max. speed 100 km/h > 120 km/h
Acceleration 0 – 60 km/h 6.5 s 5 s
Battery Lithium-ion battery from Tesla Lithium-ion battery from Deutsche ACCUmotive

A fresh green and even more colours

With a larger radiator grille featuring the electric drive logo, stylish LED daytime driving lights below the headlamps, wider door sills and several modifications to the rear the new model is much more dynamic than its predecessor.

The new smart fortwo electric drive comes in all smart colours and colour combinations that are also available for the diesel and petrol models.

The new colour fresh green is a particularly visible manifestation of electric driving fun. In addition to crystal white bodypanels the electric drive design package comprises white alloy rims, a green tridion cell, green mirror caps and numerous green accents in the interior which form an attractive contrast to the black seats.

Perfectly equipped

As to be expected the new smart fortwo electric drive features extensive equipment. A highlight is the fully automatic air conditioning with pollen filter and pre-air conditioning. As with the second generation the vehicle can be pre-cooled or pre-heated as required for a programmed departure time when it is connected to the power network. A new feature is the possibility to start the pre-air conditioning via the internet or a smartphone at any time. The standard equipment furthermore includes electric windows and electrically adjustable door mirrors, a leather steering wheel, leather gear knob, the entry line radio, power steering, 9-spoke alloy wheels and a luggage compartment cover. As with the predecessor model in addition to the standard solid roof a glass roof and a cabrio version are available. The trip computer – also a standard feature in the electric smart – shows journey information including the remaining range. And like the predecessor model the two round instruments show the charge status of the battery and the energy used and recuperated. In addition, the smart fortwo electric drive can be equipped with a navigation system and a 3-spoke leather steering wheel.

Clever app for infotainment with smartphones

smart is the first car brand to develop its own drive app for the iPhone®. Together with the smart kit and cradle for the iPhone®the cult phone becomes a multimedia trip computer that is optimised for the smart fortwo in terms of function and design. The smart drive app for the iPhone®has all the important features needed whilst driving: phone calls via hands-free system, your own extensive music collection, internet radio and a clever navigation system with a special smart touch. There are also smart extras – for example the Car Finder that will guide you back to wherever you parked your car.

The new smart drive app for the iPhone®is simple to operate and features extra-large buttons among other things. The new app makes urban mobility even easier and more fun – the declared objective of the smart philosophy.

Two new elements developed by smart make the two-seater car and the iPhone®a perfect team:

  • The smart cradle for the iPhone®with control unit and microphone serves as a stylish and functional holder. It charges the iPhone®and also functions as a hands-free system using the loudspeakers of the smart radio for sound output and automatically muting it when phone calls are made.
  • The smart drive app for the iPhone®is the world’s first drive app on the market to be developed by a car brand. It combines all the features needed on the road in a single app. All the functions are extremely easy to use thanks to extra-large buttons and extra-large letters.

Always know how far you can go: connected services

The smart drive app for the iPhone can be tailored to the smart fortwo electric drive with further functions. However, the current charge status or the SmartCharging charge configuration can also be conveniently controlled and managed via a web portal from a home computer or with any modern smartphone.

The Vehicle Homepage offers every third generation smart fortwo electric drive customer a chance to visualise the range on an interactive map with 3D views. All the destinations that can be reached with the current battery charge are displayed. The public charging stations within reach can also be seen at a glance. If a desired destination is further away than the available range the Vehicle Homepage can be used to quickly check the additional battery charge needed. Among other things the depiction of the range considers the topography and the route profile. The intuitive graphic depiction that can be combined with 3D views and satellite images is an attractive feature. Furthermore, the vehicle itself can also become active. Information on the charge status and range can be sent by email or Twitter messages for example. The driver is notified as soon as the desired range can be reached with the current charge.

Intelligent charging

The smart fortwo electric drive can be connected to the internet at home via a standard powerline adapter (Homeplug AV) for SmartCharging. After entering the planned departure time in the vehicle or the web portal the vehicle will be fully charged in a battery-saving and economical way, and pre-air conditioned if required so that it is ready to start. The pre-air conditioning can also be conveniently activated online shortly before setting off.