Hello Electric Drive Smart Car Lovers,

Exciting news from smartusa….The Electric Drive (ED) all electric smart car is coming to America in October 2011 as Phase II.

Phase I was conducted over in Europe and was extremely successful. Phase II will include nine major cities in the USA, with 250 EDs available to rent with a 4 year lease at $599/month.

Here are the cities that will kick-off Phase II next October 2011:

• Austin, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• Sacramento, CA
• San Francisco/San Jose, CA
• New York City, NY
• Orlando, FL
• Detroit, MI
• Washington, D.C.
• Redmond, WA

Then Phase III, full production, will kick-off in October 2012 across America. I believe smart centers will be taking reservations in the future for the all electric smart fortwo car.  Details have not been announced yet.

So, if you are lucky to live in one of the 9 cities for Phase II, how can you get your hands on one? That’s a good question, but I’m not sure yet… Smart believes about 80% of the Phase II EDs will be leased by businesses that have garages where re-charging stations can be outfitted and will use the EDs during the day, recharging at night.

If you’re interested in leasing a smart electric car, I would contact your local smart centers and ask how you can be a pioneer in getting the EDs on the road in  your area.

Here are a few quick facts about the Electric Drive smart fortwo:

• Has a top speed of 60mph and a range of 82 miles per full charge.
• Time range is 4-5 hours going at average city speeds.
• It has 16.5 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack.
• The motor maxes out at 30 kilowatts, or about 40 horsepower.
• At 220 volts, the on board 3.3 kilowatt charger can bring the battery from zero to 100 percent charge in about eight hours.
• It can conduct a 20 percent to 80 percent charge in about three and half hours.
• Finally, with a regular 110-volt outlet, will need 14 hours to charge from zero to full.
• The ED can accelerate as fast as its gas-powered version, going 0 to 40 mph in 6.5 seconds.

OK, More details to follow, but imagine the possibilities of driving a full electric smart car fortwo and never needing to fuel up on gasoline.

Your “Smart Car Guy”,