Daimler’s Smart lineup has been begging for an electric variant since its inception, due to its small stature and focus on being more “green” than other cars on the road. It took some time, but Smart->ke83 finally did debut an electric variant and it is now due for an upgrade. Well, after much delay, the redesigned Smart electric drive – yes, it’s all lowercase letters to stay true to the “smart” way – is finally set to hit the streets without hitting the filling station.

With the influx of EVs in the marketplace, can the puny smart fortwo really stand up to the challenge? The fortwo->ke1744 has always been a niche car and adding in the hum of an electric motor in the place of its three-pot gasoline power plant just places it into an even narrower niche.

Only time will truly tell whether this car will gain any traction in the EV market, but we are all set to dive into it and tell you what to expect. We will also let you know if this car is one for the ages or one that you can live without.

Click past the jump to read our full review.

2013 Smart Fortwo electric drive

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2013 Smart Fortwo electric drive
  • Engine/Motor: 55 kW
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

In typical smart fortwo fashion, the exterior of the 2013 fortwo electric drive is very, very small. It borders on looking almost unsafe, but engineers at Daimler have worked hard to make this subcompact ride meet all of the NHTSA’s safety requirements. It is nearly as tall as it is long, giving it a rather awkward outward appearance, which is endearing to some, but downright goofy looking to others.

The exterior of the Smart fortwo electric boasts a slightly larger grille than the 2012 fortwo, with the circular “electric drive” logo in the center. At the base of the bumper is a set of LED driving lights, which provide additional safety in the fog while not putting too much draw on the battery. The Smart fortwo ED is also now offered in every color available on diesel- and gasoline-powered models, and boasts a new crystal white and electric green body color that is only available in the ED model.

At each corner of the 2013 Smart fortwo ED is a 9-spoke alloy rim. As standard, the Smart fortwo comes with a solid roof, but for an additional fee, you can add in a glass roof or even a convertible top.

The rear end of the 2013 Smart fortwo ED has been ever-so-slightly revised. The rear hatch has fewer curves to it, giving the rear end a cleaner finish. In addition to the revised hatch, the rear bumper cover now has a cutout in the center of it, giving it a more stylish appearance.

On the outside, the Smart fortwo ED is not much different than the 2012 models.

Interior

On the inside, the Smart fortwo is about the same as any modern car, save for the lack of interior volume. The dashboard is cleanly set up with little clutter, which is a huge deal in the modern era and the constant addition of new buttons to press and knobs to twist. Being simple has become the new trend, unlike the 1990s where it seemed like the more buttons the merrier.

The speedometer and main gauges are properly placed in front of the driver, not in the center of the dashboard like so many cars in this style. The only gauges in the center are the state of charge and the energy gauges.

As with any other 2013 model, the Smart fortwo electric drive features heating and cooling standard. To help keep things comfortable before you get in, you can actually turn on a pre-heating or pre-cooling system via the Internet or a smartphone.

The steering wheel is leather wrapped and boasts a silver outline in the center, in an attempt to give it just a little extra flair without going overboard. The entire interior boasts the same silver accents throughout, but Smart was careful not to overdo it. If you opt for the crystal whit and electric green exterior, you will also get green accents throughout the interior to contrast the black bas color.

Standard on the Smart fortwo ED are power windows, a basic audio system, power steering and a luggage compartment cover. Some optional equipment available on the 2013 Smart fortwo includes a sporty 3-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel and a navigation system.

So you can judge how much power is left, the Smart fortwo also includes a journey information center that shows the battery’s state of charge and remaining range.

Smart has also developed a drive app for the iPhone, so you can use your iPhone as a multimedia trip computer. The iPhone will allow you to take hands-free calls, listen to music via the fortwo’s stereo system, launch internet radio and hear it through the stereo, and you can use the iPhone as a navigation system. Another added bonus is the “Car Finder” which helps you locate your fortwo if you forget where you parked it.

Helping integrate the iPhone into the Smart fortwo ED, Smart has installed an iPhone cradle with a control unit and microphone. In addition to connecting your iPhone to the fortwo, this cradle also charges the iPhone, as needed. The drive app for the Smart fortwo electric drive also allows the iPhone to access the vehicle’s homepage to view its current state of charge and it also displays local charging stations that it can reach on its current charge.

As you can see, Smart has truly put vehicle connectivity and interior technology on the front burner this year.

Motor and Drivetrain

The 2013 Smart fortwo ED comes with a 55 kW magneto-electric motor that is the spawn of the joint venture between Bosch and EM-motive. This motor pumps out 130 Nm (95 pound-feet) of torque, which gets this subcompact EV from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 11.5 seconds, which is rather respectable, considering its purpose. This EV’s top speed is just 125 km/h (77.7 mph), but the Smart fortwo is touted more as an urban vehicle than a speed demon, so that is still an acceptable number.

The 2013 Smart fortwo ED also boasts a new 17.7 kWh lithium-ion battery that allows this compact vehicle to go 145 km (90.1 miles) on a single charge. That number is again good, based on the fact that this vehicle is more of a city dweller than a long distance EV.

This battery has multiple charging options. The slowest option to take seven hours to go from a complete discharge to a full charge and that is via a standard electrical outlet. If you opt for a wall box connected to a standard socket, the charging time decreases to just six hours. The wall box also connects your Smart fortwo to the Internet, so you can view its state of charge online. If you have access to a 400-volt charging station, the Smart fortwo electric drive’s charging time drops all the way down to just one hour.

As for the drivetrain, Smart makes no mention of any changes. This lack of information leads us to assume that the 2013 model year will carryover the single speed forward and reverse transmission from the 2012 model year.

When Can I Get One?

The Smart fortwo electric drive has been available in Europe since 2007, so we all know that this model will continue to be sold there. The newest deal is the fact that the 2013 Smart fortwo ED is heading to the U.S. In both markets, the new fortwo ED is expected to arrive in fall of 2012.

Price

For the most part, EVs are pretty much out of the average American’s price range. The Smart fortwo electric drive actually comes in at a relatively affordable price at €18,910 ($23,862) for the coupe model and €22,000 ($27,761) for the convertible body. In addition to the cost of the car, there is a €65 ($82) per month fee to rent the battery.

The exact U.S. pricing has yet to be released and we assume there will have to be a little markup for the importing and homologation into the U.S. We say it is safe to anticipate a $28,000 price on the coupe model and a $32,000 price tag on the convertible model.

Competition

The EV market is swamped these days, but there are really only a handful of competitors for the pint-sized Smart fortwo electric drive.

The closest model to it now that is currently on the market is the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The i-MiEV holds a base price of $29,125, which is slightly more than we anticipate the Smart fortwo ED coming in at. Where the i-MiEV beats the Smart fortwo is in passenger capacity, as it has four doors and room for four or five adults. Other than that, the i-MiEV is well below the Smart fortwo ED, as the Smart looks better, has a longer range (90 miles vs. 62 miles), and has a lower price.

The Nissan Leaf->ke3484 at $35,200 is an outside competitor, as it is slightly larger and more family oriented than the fortwo. The Leaf beats the fortwo in charging time, as it take four to eight hours on a home charger and as little as 30 minutes on a commercial charger. The Nissan EV also beats out the Smart fortwo in total power, as it boasts an 80 kW electric motor that cranks out 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. The Leaf comes up short on the total range competition, as the fortwo goes 90 miles, whereas the Leaf only goes 73 miles.

In the future, we anticipate seeing the BMW i3, which is supposed to hit the market about the same time as the Smart fortwo ED. The details are still a little scarce on the i3, but it is supposed to boast a 125 kW motor that pumps out a hefty 170 ponies and 184 pound-feet of torque. This will get the i3 to 60 mph in less than eight seconds, while only requiring a charge time to 80 percent capacity of one hour. Supposedly, the i3 also will have a 93-mile range on a single charge.

The i3 looks like the sure winner on paper, but we have yet to see a price and official specs from the EPA. We’ll hold off judgment until then.

Conclusion

The Smart fortwo looks pretty good to us, in an economy and environmental sense. In styling, it’s just as funny looking as any other Smart car on the market. We suggest waiting for the official details to come out about the i3 before rushing out and placing an order on a fortwo ED, as the i3 simply looks better, has a longer range and is faster. If the price difference between the Smart and the BMW is small, it may be worth your while to hold out for the Bimmer.