The transfer of the Penske-run Smart USA operation to Mercedes-Benz USA later this year has killed plans for a Nissan-developed Smart 4-door, but isn't likely to upset previously announced plans for bring the battery-electric version of the two-seat city car to the U.S. for retail sales and leasing next year.
Smart USA already has begun a U.S. leasing program aimed at putting 250 Smart Fortwo EDs (it stands for Electric Drive) on the road, mostly in commercial fleets, and that program, too, is expected to continue unchanged, said Mercedes spokesman Geoff Day.
But expectations can change and Day - a deft hand at making sure no "t" is left uncrossed - added that once the the hand-off is completed and the Penske Automotive Group no longer handles Smart, the new Smart team at Mercedes-Benz USA "may review those plans."
What isn't likely to change - at least until the next-generation Fortwo is unveiled - is the Smart ED itself, which looks like the regular Smart Fortwo but replaces the internal combustion drivetrain with a Tesla Motors-developed 16.5 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack powering a 30-kilowatt, rear-mounted electric motor delivering 88 ft-lb of torque. The whole package delivers up to 85 miles of range on a single charge and top speed is limited to 62 mph.
The initial lease program - which is designed to help Smart develop loads of on-road use and charging pattern data from drivers, hence its emphasis on commercial fleets - is a four-year plan at a rather substantial $599 a month (versus $349 for the five-passenger all-electric Nissan Leaf).
Source: Edmunds
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