DaimlerChrysler has released technical details for the electric version of its Smart Fortwo. A 30kW/41 hp magnetic motor sends power to the rear wheels. Batteries for the car are, oddly, sodium-nickel-chloride, which are known for their high capacity and their relatively neutral impact on the environment, but which operate at high temperatures. The battery is housed at the bottom of the car so that tight interior space isn't compromised further. The car can be charged to 80 percent in four hours and to 100 percent in eight hours from any 230-volt power outlet (Europe). Its range on a charge is 115 kilometers and it can reach a top speed of 112 kilometers. The European standards of measure for all of these figures should make plain that DaimlerChrysler has no immediate plans to bring this vehicle to the United States
Source: DaimlerChrysler
