Daimler is to display its long-term commitment to sustainable mobility and future-orientated drive technologies through its participation at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. The automobile inventor is to take part in numerous activities at the motorshow, including offering visitors the chance to experience a smart fortwo electric drive model, which is powered by an electric motor in combination with a lithium-ion battery.
A further exhibition will focus on the car2go mobility concept, which allows customers to rent a smart fortwo vehicle from anywhere at any time.
Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the Daimler Board of Management for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, said: “Fully in line with our strategy for sustainable mobility, we will present a broad spectrum of drive technologies at the World Expo. “As well as electric cars powered by batteries or fuel cells, we will also present our innovative mobility project. The ‘flex mover’ concept also provides a visionary outlook of future possibilities for individual mobility.”
The smart fortwo electric drive was on show earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show and is able to reach a limited top speed of 62 miles per hour.
smart fortwo electric drive offers innovative driving fun
The new smart fortwo electric drive is a logical continuation of a very ambitious goal: the production of a well-engineered, attractive city car that has no local exhaust gas emissions meaning it is a zero emission vehicle. In 2007 smart kicked off zero-emission motoring in London with its tough city traffic conditions. Since then 100 smart fortwo electric drives of the first generation have been in practical customer operation there. The feedback from the UK capital has been very positive and confirms the high degree of maturity of this vehicle concept.
In 2008 smart presented the second generation smart fortwo electric drive, a more advanced electric drive with an innovative lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion technology has decisive advantages over other types of batteries including better performance, shorter charging times, a long life and high reliability. Marc Langenbrinck says “The second generation smart fortwo electric drive is based on a successful and accepted vehicle concept with character and inherent environmentally friendly characteristics. Its innovative electric battery drive makes it the perfect car for the city: it is agile, economical and climate-friendly. Motoring with zero local emissions in an urban environment has become a reality. This equates to driving fun with no compromises.”
