Mercedes-Benz Malaysia's Marketign boss, Kai Schlickum with the smart fortwo electric drive in One Utama |
With the Malaysian government offering import and excise duty exemptions for electric and hybrid cars, companies are rushing to show off what they have in the display cabinet.
After Mitsubishi registering the Miev electric car, the first electric car to be registered for road use in Malaysia, Mercedes Benz is putting their smart fortwo on show.
In terms of technology, the car is powered by a 30kW electric motor that can twist 120Nm of torque from standstill and can last 135 kilometres on the Tesla Auto-developed lithium-ion 16.5 kWh battery.
Full story and pictures after the jump
Basically, it is an array of small batteries not unlike the ones you find in your cellphones. the smart charging allows the entire pack to be fully charged in one or two hours.
As with hybrid cars, the weakest link in an electric car is the battery and the fortwo comes with special electronics and monitoring system to make sure the batteries survive daily use.
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 minimise 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 long_standing dream of stationary cooling becomes a reality! No other car offers this comfortable option.
PRESS RELEASE
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Following
the successful launch in European and North American cities, the smart fortwo
electric drive deemed as the electrically powered trendsetter has been rolling
off the production line since November 2009 – and due to the huge demand the
initial production volume has been increased from 1000 to 1500 vehicles. The
second generation smart fortwo electric drive is equipped with an innovative
and highly efficient lithium-ion battery. It is neatly accommodated between the
axles, which means that space is not compromised in any way in the intelligent
two-seater vehicle. A 30 kW electric motor is fitted at the rear. This provides
for very good acceleration and high agility with 120 Newton metres of torque that are immediately
available.
Daimler
is a pioneer and first-mover in clean mobility solutions and have the largest test fleet of electric
vehicles in the world. Mercedes-Benz
Malaysia is therefore
delighted to be amongst the first to showcase this technology to Malaysia ,
especially in the 125th anniversary of the invention of the
automobile by Carl Benz, our founder.
The fully charged battery has sufficient power to cover approximately 135
kilometres in accordance with the New European Driving Cycle, making it ideal
for urban use especially in cities. 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 .
Marc Langenbrinck, responsible for brand
management at smart says "In 1998 smart revolutionised urban mobility with
the unique smart fortwo vehicle concept. Now smart is once again taking on a
pioneering role and redefining zero_emission urban mobility. We are the first
manufacturer to launch a series_produced electric vehicle. Daimler is
spearheading electric mobility with the smart fortwo electric drive. The smart
fortwo electric drive is a further logical step in the evolution of the smart brand
which boasts the fleet with the lowest fuel consumption anyway."
Environmental friendliness and
state_of_the_art functionality have been defining features of the smart fortwo
ever since it was launched more than ten years ago. Since then its innovative
concept has combined sustainable, forward_looking technologies with individual
urban mobility. With a length of just over two and a half metres the extremely compact vehicle can
also park perpendicular to the flow of traffic. In addition, the space_saving
and environmentally friendly two_ seater currently has the lowest fleet
consumption and it brings its occupants to their destination comfortably and
safely. Its design is fresh, youthful, modernand yet sophisticated and has made
it an automotive lifestyle icon which shows that mobility, responsibility to
the environment and joie de vivre are compatible with one another. The smart
fortwo has established a class of its own.
Electric drive factored in from the very
first 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.
Powerful drive
A 30 kW magneto_electric motor is
installed at the rear of the new smart fortwo electric drive and reacts
directly without delay. Powerful torque of 120 Newton metres is immediately available. This
results in a surprising amount of power when
pulling away. The smart fortwo electric drive accelerates from 0 _ 60 km/h in
6.5 seconds – just as quickly as a petrol model which it initially leaves
behind it.
Thanks to the power characteristic of the
electric motor, just one single fixed gear ratio is required. There is no need
for any gear changing – a major advantage in dense city traffic. To reverse,
the engine's direction of rotation changes.
"Fantastic and easy to drive. You just get in, turn on and go"
was how experienced users from London
summed up the smart fortwo electric drive.
The second generation smart fortwo
electric drive is powered by a lithium_ion battery developed by Tesla Motors
Inc. with electrical energy of 16.5 kWh. It is simple to charge at any fused
220 Volt socket. A fully charged battery is sufficient for up to 135 kilometres
of driving fun (NEDC). This range is more than enough for city traffic as studies
have shown that cars drive an average of 30 _ 40 kilometres per day in towns
and cities. For this, the vehicle only needs to be charged for three hours. At
an average speed of 25 _ 30 km/h that is normal in city traffic the smart
fortwo electric drive can drive for around four to five hours continuously
before it needs to be recharged. Plugging the car in overnight will fully
recharge the battery.
Electronics optimise 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 minimise 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 long_standing dream of stationary cooling becomes a
reality! No other car offers this
comfortable option.
smart fortwo electric drive in major
cities in Europe and the USA as well as
in Asia
Since the end of 2009 the second
generation smart fortwo electric drive has been delivered to selected
customers. Leases are offered for a period of four years and 60,000 kilometres.
The first vehicles were handed over to
customers in December within the framework of the "e_mobility Berlin " project.
Here, in cooperation with the energy provider RWE and with the support of the
German government and the city of Berlin ,
Daimler is creating ideal conditions for running battery_driven vehicles with
no local emissions. This includes setting up a network of electricity charging
stations that enable intelligent communication between electric vehicles and
the power network so that the battery can be charged when electricity is
cheapest. But as mentioned, the smart fortwo electric drive can also be charged
at any household safety socket with a 16 amp fuse(standard in Germany and
other countries).
Further new generation smart fortwo
electric drive vehicles have taken to the roads of Hamburg, Paris, Rome, Milan,
Pisa, London and the Midlands, Madrid, Zurich, Portugal, Denmark, the Czech
Republic, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands since the first half of 2010.
In the autumn of 2010 the smart fortwo
electric drive was launched in cities in the USA and Canada , and from 2011 in some Asian
countries. There is already a very lively demand for the smart fortwo electric
drive, and from 2012 it will be produced in large volumes as a normal part of
the smart range and sold via the smart dealer network. This third generation
will be fitted with a new lithium_ion battery which Daimler is developing to
production maturity in cooperation with Evonik. The lithium_ion battery
currently used comes from Tesla and represents state_of_ the_art technology.
However, further progress is anticipated. The main differences between the two
batteries lie in the structural design. The Tesla battery consists of lots of
cylinder_shaped cells. The Daimler battery will be made up of fewer but larger
plate units. This will first and foremost enable a greater energy density to be
achieved (with greater energy content for a higher range) and an even longer
life.
thnks
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