All Electric Smart ForTwo Moves Into Full Scale Production

Since first being introduced, the Smart ForTwo has become a big hit with commuters and pretty much anyone looking for a high efficiency vehicle. Now, an all electric version of the already popular ForTwo is being prepared for production by the end of the year.

A 30Kw battery mounted in place of the motor provides 90 lb/ft of torque to the ground and can push the electric ForTwo up to a top speed of 62 miles per hour. The vehicle is intended for city driving and is therefore electronically limited at this velocity.

A full charge will take between 7 to 8 hours and will provide the driver with a range of just under 75 miles. A quick 3 hour charge from a 220 volt power source will give the electric Smart enough juice to traverse somewhere around 20 miles.

Interestingly enough, the single battery is provided by Tesla Motors, who also provided some information and performance data to help in the designing of the electron powered 2-seater.

Production models are expected to be released in pre-specified major cities across Europe and the US by the end of this year and into next year with full public availability coming in 2012.

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