smart Electric Drive - Living The Electric Dream

With the cost of petrol and diesel spiralling, Mercedes-Benz of Hertfordshire’s Digital Marketing Executive David Newman finds the electric smart provides fuel for thought.

“The numbers of electric cars seem to be ever increasing but the concept of driving one still seems alien to the majority of motorists.

Up until a week ago I classed myself as one of ‘those’ drivers who couldn’t entertain the thought of an electric car. Now, having lived with the smart electric drive, I’m positively charged with enthusiasm for the idea!

I’d heard all about how the smart electric drive could be charged off a conventional, 240V three-pin plug socket so decided I had to experience its ease-of-use for myself. But a quick jaunt to the shops wouldn’t convince me, I wanted to see how it would handle a longer run.

With the smart electric drive having a range of 80 miles and a top speed of 65mph, it’s best to plan any route sensibly and I decided it would be best to stick to B-roads. The smart electric drive is great for zipping around town as it produces its torque instantly and hence accelerates surprisingly quickly to 30mph, but it’s a little stretched on dual carriageways and motorways.

However I still wanted the drive to present a challenge so decided to travel from Bishops Stortford to a pub in Roydon, Essex. With the pub landlord having already agreed to allow me to charge the smart on my arrival, although he did find the prospect slightly amusing, I set off into the motoring unknown.

After a few miles any concerns I had disappeared and I soon started enjoying playing with the car’s clever recuperation system, watching the battery recharge as I took my foot off the accelerator on declines.

The trip proved easy and before long I was sat in the pub’s welcoming garden, enjoying lunch and reflecting on the many merits of the smart electric drive.

The convenience the smart electric drive’s charging system provides and the satisfying feeling you get driving past petrol stations can’t be doubted, especially when you look at the cost savings compared to a conventional car. To fully charge the battery takes six hours and costs £3.60. In comparison, a diesel car, even one that can return 40mpg in stop/start driving conditions, will require well over £13 of diesel (at £1.45 per litre) to cover the same range of 80 miles.

Granted, the smart electric drive isn’t ideally suited to long-distant driving and its range can be slightly lessened with the use of its electrical equipment, but it excels around town and is more than capable of being a regular daily-driver.

It’s as comfortable, versatile and stylish as any ‘normal’ smart and it’s amazingly relaxing too. The smart electric drive’s motor emits little more than a hum – great for making pedestrians look – and its power delivery is seamless with no gear changes to worry about.

If you want a head-turning urban car that is incredibly environmentally compatible and energy efficient, then the smart electric drive provides the perfect solution. Don’t take my word for it though, try it for yourself and I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I was.”

For more details on the smart electric drive and to arrange a convenient test drive, please call your nearest smart Hertfordshire retailer.