Electric Smart coming

SMART has confirmed it will begin delivering the electric version of its ForTwo city car to the UK in right-hand drive from early 2010, and that it will eventually come to Australia.

Mercedes-Benz Australian spokesman David McCarthy said Daimler AG chairman Dieter Zetsche had promised during a visit to Australia last August that we would get the plug-in electric Smart.

“We’re definitely on the list for it,” said Mr McCarthy. “Not this year, but probably next year or the year after.” Daimler this week announced it was ready to begin small-scale series production of the electric-drive Smart ForTwo after 18 months of trials in the UK by police, universities, local councils, architects and energy companies.

The car uses a second-generation 30kW Daimler electric drivetrain with a lithium-ion battery and will next be trialed in Rome, Milan, Paris and the US.

Mercedes-Benz UK managing director Dermot Kelly said he was delighted the British trial had proven successful and said the Smart EV would provide cost benefits under local tax rules.

“The Smart electric drive is exempt from vehicle excise duty and the London congestion charge and this, underlined with incredibly low operating costs, means that companies taking part in the trial are finding it makes perfect fiscal sense,” said Mr Kelly.