HAMBACH, France — The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, fresh from its introduction at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, will go into production starting next month. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was on hand, alongside Daimler Chairman Dieter Zetsche, for the announcement that the first batch of 1,000 Fortwo Electric Drive cars will be built at Smart's plant here. Large-scale production starts in 2012.
On Sarkozy's visit to the plant, he announced that the French government and the regional governments of the Lorraine and Moselle will join to invest 15 percent of the amount needed to carry out the ambitious production plans. Daimler will invest "a double-digit-million-euro amount" in the Hambach plant as well. The plant opened in 1997 and has built the Smart Fortwo since 1998.
The first 1,000 cars will be distributed to customers involved in "mobility projects" in Europe and the United States, who will provide feedback about the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive in real-world driving conditions. Smart earlier sent out 100 first-generation models of the Smart EV for similar test purposes starting in 2007.
The Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has a lithium-ion battery located between the axles and a 40-horsepower electric motor at the back and makes 88 pound-feet of torque. It is chargeable on household current and has a driving range of about 84 miles. Pricing details were not announced.
Inside Line says: Won't be long before the little plug-in Smarts are rolling all over the European landscape. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
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