Getting smart: The first plug-in electric Smartfortwo minicar has been delivered to customers in Berlin, close to the Stuttgart home of its parent company, Mercedes-Benz. The first two owners — an artist and a dental technology company executive — currently own the regular gas-powered Smartfortwo.
The compact two-seater is the first emission-free vehicle in the world with state-of-the-art lithium-ion technology plus an intelligent charging management system on board. The batteries are from electric sportscar manufacturer Tesla Motors, which Mercedes parent Daimler bought a piece of in 2009 to produce and market electric cars together.
Mercedes is calling the plug-in Smartfortwo an ED, for electric drive, rather than EV, for electric vehicle.
The on-board electronics on the electric Smartfortwo has a unique new information feature that allows real-time exchange of information with the owner by iPhone, Blackberry or other smartphone.
Here’s how it works:
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