Content by: Daimler AG – www.media.daimler.com
Posted by: Eco-Question Editor
Source: Daimler AG – www.media.daimler.com
Photo Credit: © Daimler AG – www.media.daimler.com
Video Credit: © Daimler AG – www.media.daimler.com
Special Thanks:
- Joachim Franz Kutscher
Manager of Global Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars (Smart Communications)
Daimler AG – www.media.daimler.com
The Smart Fortwo was designed as an electric car right from the first sketches. Now the smart fortwo electric drive is perfecting the innovative mobility concept. More environmentally friendly, more efficient and above all more fun to drive – it provides the answers to urban mobility today.
Smart has made electric drive a practical alternative for mobility with zero local emissions in urban areas. The first of the new smart fortwo electric drive vehicles were handed over to customers in Berlin at the end of 2009, and the environmentally friendly pioneer will now demonstrate its suitability for everyday use in further cities in Europe, North America and Asia.
The smart fortwo electric drive, which started rolling off the production line in November 2009, is a logical continuation of a very ambitious goal: the production of a well-engineered, attractive city car that has no local exhaust gas emissions i.e. a zero emission vehicle. In 2007 smart kicked off zero-emission motoring in London with its tough city traffic conditions. Since then 100 smart fortwo electric drives of the first generation have been in practical customer operation there. The feedback from the UK capital has been very positive and confirms the high degree of maturity of this vehicle concept.
The smart fortwo electric drive is a smart fortwo that does not make any compromises with regard to safety, agility, comfort and space. Electric drives have been part of the smart concept right from the start. The later integration of the components needed for electric drive was planned at a very early stage. For example, there is space for the battery in the underfloor between the axles where the tank is located in other smart models. The electric drive module does not limit the space available in the smart fortwo electric drive in any way; there is just as much interior and luggage compartment space as in a smart fortwo with a combustion engine.
Electronics Optimize the Battery Status and Power Consumption
Special electronics ensure that all is well with the battery. This battery management system constantly monitors voltage, electricity and temperature. If one of these parameters reaches a specified limit – for example when driving up long hills at constant peak power (kickdown) – the electronics reduce the power output. However, this is barely noticeable and it rules out the risk of battery overload.
The electronics also monitor the charging process and control the capacity display. The vehicle’s power electronics supply the vehicle’s electrical system with electric current from the battery via a DC/DC converter. In addition, they also control the heating and air conditioning, for example, to minimize the strain on the battery. Clever drivers can air condition their smart fortwo electric drive in advance as long as their vehicle is being charged at home – the longstanding dream of stationary cooling becomes a reality! No other car offers this comfortable option.
Design Compatible with Recycling
Protection of the environment is one of the main corporate objectives of the smart brand. That means sparing use of natural resources. This is why Daimler AG aim to recycle more so that they have less to dispose of. They think things through from the beginning to the end. Great importance is attached to design that is compatible with the environment and recycling right from the development stage of their vehicles. The use of unmixed materials for instrument panels, wheel arch lining and underbody paneling are good examples of this. They allow simple disassembly and high quality materials recycling.
Furthermore, the wheel arch linings of their vehicles are made of 100% recycled plastic. The advantages are obvious: Environmental compatibility and recyclability. In the Environmental Guidelines of Daimler AG, they undertake to constantly improve the environmental compatibility of their products. They are guided by this standard every day in their endeavors to further optimize the environmental credentials of our vehicles.
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