The Smart EQ ForTwo is a cool micro-EV for the city
Quick Stats
- Vehicle type: 100% electric
- Number of seats: 4 seats
- Body shape: Hatchback
- Official WLTP range:
- Average range:
- Price: from £0 to £0
Overview
The Smart EQ ForTwo is available in two formats: Coupe and Cabrio. We look at the Coupe version below.
Smart is part of the Mercedes-Benz Group and has been around for a while now.
These are really tiny city cars, with plenty of panache and style. They are the ultimate ‘park anywhere’ vehicle, now with zero emissions.
Read our quick review for essential stats on battery range, charging costs and speeds, dimensions, boot space, efficiency, performance, and more.
Range & Batteries
How far can you drive on a full charge of the battery in the Smart ForTwo? In ideal conditions, you should be able to achieve the official ‘WLTP’ range in miles. However in winter, for example, electric car batteries don’t perform as well, and actual range will be lower.
This table shows both the more optimistic WLTP range, and a rough, more likely ‘average’ range for the various versions of the Smart:
| Trim / Variant | Battery (useable) | Average Range | WLTP Range |
Efficiency
We are all used to ‘miles per gallon’ of petrol or diesel when thinking about efficiency in traditional cars. With EVs, you need to replace ‘gallon’ with ‘kWh’. 1 kWh = 1 unit of electricity. So the ‘miles per kWh’ measure tells you how many miles you can go on 1 kWh of electricity – the higher the number the better.
Here’s data for the ForTwo Coupe, together with an equivalent in miles per gallon (yes, electric cars really are that efficient!):
| Trim / Variant | Efficiency (electric) | Efficiency ('MPG') |
Charging Times & Costs
If you have off-street parking, the best and cheapest place to charge your Smart ForTwo is at home. Depending on your home energy tariff, you’ll either charge at a standard flat rate or at a lower off-peak rate. The 0-100% charge times below are a ‘worst case’ scenario – typically you will charge 1-2 hours a day, or maybe go for a longer charge on just a couple of days a week.
Charging at Home on an Off-peak rate of 0p per kWh
| Trim / Variant | Charge Time 0-100% | Cost per mile |
Charging at Home on a Peak rate of 0p per kWh
| Trim / Variant | Charge Time 0-100% | Cost per mile |
The Smart ForTwo isn’t capable of so-called ‘DC’ charging. This is a kind of EV charging you normally use on trips, when you stop to charge at say a motorway service station, and want to get miles back into your car quickly. You’ll need to stick to AC charging when you are out and about, as shown above.
Performance
The Smart, like all pure electric cars, has its wheels turned by one or more electric motors. The motors themselves are powered by a lithium-ion battery. Battery + electric motor is a great combination, giving you instant torque with no gears to change.
You’ll find the ForTwo Coupe eerily quiet after an internal combustion engine. Here are the performance stats:
| Trim / Variant | Top Speed | 0-62 mph |
Boot Space & Cargo Volume
| Trim / Variant | Boot Space | Cargo Volume (seats down) |
Dimensions
| Trim / Variant | Length | Width | Height |
Next Steps
We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief analysis of the Smart ForTwo Coupe. We’ve focussed mainly on potentially unfamiliar electric car related items, such as batteries, range and charging.
Where to next?
- Narrow down your EV search in a systematic way using our Car Selector tool
- Read more about the ForTwo at Smart’s UK website
- If you’re ready to go, consider leasing the Smart ForTwo from a low-cost broker
