London's Financial Times is reporting that Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler AG plans to start urban testing of its Smart ForTwo Electric Drive models during December, in plans for a retail debut for 2010. The program calls for the lease of some 100 of the plug-in electric two-seaters to corporate and public-sector users, including the London Police, for a period of four years. Daimler chose the London because of its growing network of free electric-vehicle recharging stations. The company says it is prepping similar trials in other European cities, but has no plans for an American test program. At least not yet. The ForTwo Electric Drive uses a 40-horsepower electric motor juiced by a bank of nickel-metal hydride batteries (Smart insists a lithium-ion version is "right around the corner"). Daimler says the car is good for about 70 miles on a charge, with a top speed of close to 70 mph.
Source: Financial Times
More photos after the break, courtesy of Daimler.
