There is no place where an electric car is more efficient than in the city, and there is no better car for the city than a small car. This formula makes the Smart EQ fortwo the obvious choice for anyone looking for an electric city dweller. But is it that simple?
Before answering this question, it is important to contextualize the current situation of Smart, which since the beginning of 2020 began to produce and sell only electric cars, already after the Chinese Geely — owner of Volvo and Lotus — started to hold 50% of the company shares and have guaranteed the production of the next generation of small townspeople for China.
The first "son" of this "wedding" will be an SUV and is scheduled to arrive in 2022. When it is presented, it will become the biggest model ever of the brand and will be based on the new specific platform for electric Geely, the SEA (Sustainable Experience Architecture).
According to Autocar, this SUV will have dimensions close to those of the MINI Countryman, with Mercedes-Benz being responsible for the design and Geely will take over the development and production.
But going back to the question I started this essay with, the answer is: no, it's not that simple, and I hope to be able to explain the reasons for you in the next few lines...
Let's talk about autonomy...
At the base of this Smart EQ fortwo is an 82 hp electric motor powered by a 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery capable of a “modest” 133 km (WLTP) of autonomy.
The speed at which the battery charge disappears varies according to the pace we adopt, but during this test I achieved an average consumption below 15 kWh/100 km, which can be judged by the fact that I have always been driving so-called “normal”, makes this an interesting record.
The only concern I was having is related to the ECO button, which I made a point of pressing whenever I got into the car. In this mode, the power is limited (if we press the throttle fully, the ECO setting loses its effect) and the management of the air conditioning is done in order to increase the system's efficiency.
If we add to this the fact that we can use some of the energy generated during braking and deceleration to recharge the battery, we realize that it is possible to walk around 120 real kilometers of autonomy.
Let's talk about the “elephant in the room” — or in the text! — autonomy. Is it short? Yes it is. Is it enough for city use? Yes it is. This is not to say that living with a Smart EQ fortwo in town doesn't require some gymnastics. In fact, not gymnastics, planning.
But if we plan our weekly routine, it is very easy to live with a Smart EQ fortwo in the so-called urban jungle, as long as there is a place to carry it, whether at home, at work or next to one of them. But that's true of this electric and pretty much all of its rivals.
nimble and fast
Outdated that the “Achilles heel” of this Smart EQ fortwo is, I'd like to go back to the part where I say it's very easy to live with this model in town.
The fact that it is possible to make a complete turn on the axle itself in a turning radius of less than nine meters is impressive and impossible to do with another car that is on sale in the market.
This makes reversing the direction of travel on the typically narrow city roads a “piece of cake”, just like parking. But in this chapter, the Smart fortwo has shined since it was originally introduced in 1998.
The smoothness of the bearing is better than ever and that, added to the silence of the electric propulsion, helps to create a peaceful backdrop behind the wheel that I've never been able to feel in a Smart with a combustion engine.
And I still haven't told you about the “shot” of this small tram, which in the first few meters is capable of putting into place even some sports cars: it accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h in 4.8s. The time from 0 to 100 km/h? Nobody cares about this… (11.6s).
All in all, the Smart EQ fortwo not only convinces in the city, it even turns out to be something fun to drive, almost always due to the explosive capacity it exhibits at the exit of traffic lights. But it's out of town that the appeal for this little townsman begins to fade, at least for me.
Out of the urban jungle: from lion to prey…
If in the urban jungle the Smart EQ fortwo assumes a leadership position, showing itself to be more effective, faster and more agile than all the others, outside of it, it quickly changes from predator to prey.
On the open road, and despite the greater stability — the positioning of the batteries under the cabin helps — we continue to “trigger” the stability control for everything and nothing and often feel the front axle losing traction.
The 130 km/h of maximum speed allows for incursions by highway, but here, the less strong points of this Smart are all to the fore, starting right away with the autonomy, which in this type of situation begins to plummet.
How long does it take to load?
The fact that this is one of the electrics with one of the smallest batteries on the market (17.6 kWh) means that charging times are low.
Equipped as standard with a 4.6 kW on-board charger, this Smart needs six hours plugged into a household outlet to replenish the battery's full charge — it's charging at night and off in the morning, like a smartphone… — and just 3.5 hours to do the same on a wallbox.
But for an additional €995 you can buy a 22 kW on-board charger that speeds up processes and allows you to go from 10% to 80% of battery capacity in just 40 minutes.
And space?
On the Smart EQ fortwo we only have two seats, but they are two seats able to comfortably accommodate two adults over 1.80 m tall without their elbows/shoulders touching, as was often the case in the first two generations of the model .
At that level, living with a Smart EQ fortwo will never be a problem, even if the trunk offers little space, just 260 litres. But this is the price to pay for having such a compact car and all that it brings.
Is it the right car for you?
Are you looking for an electric city car to use almost exclusively in the city and do a few kilometers a day? So it makes sense to have this Smart EQ fortwo on your watch list.
It is very pleasant to use, small and very simple to drive. In the city, he is always like “fish in the water”. The agility is impressive and is accentuated by the electric propulsion system, which allows us to accelerate up to 60 km/h in just 4.8s.
Don't expect a model with immersive handling or capable of cornering very fast, that's not what it was designed for. But it guarantees a very smooth driving experience — if the asphalt is in good condition, as the suspension setup remains somewhat dry — and that, when driving around town, is much more valued than dynamic attributes.
It's true that autonomy can quickly become a problem, all it takes is an unforeseen event to force us to speed up a little more or go further. But the Smart EQ fortwo wants to be the king of the city and there, there are few proposals that match it.
It remains to speak of the price, is that this Smart EQ fortwo starts at 22 845 euros, which automatically makes it a kind of whim, since its French “cousin”, the Renault Twingo Electric that we recently tested, offers two more seats and more autonomy (190 km) for almost the same money (from 23 200 euros).