All-Electric smart fortwo Headed For Los Angeles?

5/27/08 Update: I found a second article to further corroborate that LA will be the second city to test electric smart fortwo's. The story cited below does discuss color changes for the 2009 model year: the current "tomato soup red" will be replaced by a more vibrant red color and yellow will disappear in favor of gray. The color changes have been discussed for some time now, so in my opinion this helps to further elevate the article's credibility.

Original 5/24/08 story:

In keeping with the smart car theme, there are some hints that 2009 may bring smart's all-electric fortwo to Los Angeles. Currently, the electric fortwo has been in beta testing in London. It was known that smart was looking around for another city and LA and NY had both been rumored to be in the running. Now comes word from JESMB that Los Angeles has made the cut as the second trial city:


Für das Modelljahr 2009 gibt es einige Neuerungen. Ab Juni 2008 wird der smart fortwo cdi mit einem vollwertigen/geschlossenem Dieselpartikelfilter ausgerüstet. Die Leistung wird zugleich auf 49 PS angehoben. Ab dem 2. Quartal 08 ist das neue Navigationssystem (weiteres siehe Meldung vom 09.03.08) erhältlich. Für das Modelljahr 2009 ab Aug / Sep 08 wird es zwei neue Farben geben. Ein uni-rot (das metallic-rot und das uni-gelb entfallen). Neu wird eine graue Farbe eingeführt. Neben der 71 PS mhd Variante wird nun auch die 84 PS Variante mit mhd erhältlich sein. Für die Einstiegsversionen 49 PS Diesel und 61 PS Benziner wird über eine BlueEfficieny Variante nachgedacht. Künftig könnte sogar die Brabus-Version mit mhd erhältlich sein. Ab 2009 wird dann in Los Angeles der aktuelle fortwo (C451) als Elektro-Auto und Lithium-Ionen Batterie in einem 2. Feldversuch nach London eingesetzt. Danach (Ende 09 / Anfang 2010) wird der fortwo ab Werk mit Elektro-Antrieb (electric drive) erhältlich sein.

Which, when translated and edited for American consumers, goes something like this: yadda, yadda, yadda, 2009 model year, yadda, new colors, yadda, yadda, 2009, then in Los Angeles the current fortwo (C451) as the electric car and lithium-ion battery in a 2nd Field trial to London. Then (end 09 / early 2010), the fortwo from the factory with electric propulsion (electric drive) available.

There are several things of note: firstly, the London cars have nickel-metal hydride batteries, so it seems that LA may get the much more desirable li-ion. Also, it seems that smart is staying on track to offer all-electric, plug-in vehicles to the public in 2010.

Certainly one of the comments I hear most often from folks interested in the fortwo is their disappointment when they hear it only gets 41mpg EPA on the highway. I can see it in their eyes, people think this car should get better mileage. There is already a "micro hybrid drive" forwo available in Europe and that car may come to the US in the near future. However, a plug-in fortwo with decent range just might be what it takes to put the magic in Magic Pan crepes.

Disclaimer: ACATT used Google to translate a German language article that may be based on hearsay or be a work of complete fiction.

source: JESMB via smart car of america