VIDEO: Fifth Gear reviews electric Smart car, turns it into series hybrid with off-the-shelf generator



This week, Fifth Gear did a side-by-side review of the Mercedes Smart electric drive and regular Smart car that runs on petrol (watch it below the fold). Fifth Gear found out that zero-to-thirty is a lot faster in the petrol but the handling, thanks the heavy batteries lowering the center of gravity, is tops in the electric. Just 100 Smart EDs (electric drive) are coming to the UK as a trial, and the launch will be based on demand, according to Fifth Gear. I think Fifth Gear's distance/cost comparison is kinda biased to the electric but the show does something very interesting at the end of the review. They put a portable gas generator in the back of the EV, charging the car and instantly turning it into a series hybrid. Why don't we see that more often?

[Source: YouTube]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.



Featured Galleries

  • Paris 2010 Preview: Mazda 2, 3 and 5
  • 2010 OSU Buckeye Bullet
  • Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4
  • Epic EV Amp
  • Solar Outpost Electric Car Charging Station
  • Epic EV Torq
  • Paris 2010: Kia Pop concept
  • Chevy Volt Initial Ordering Guide
  • Human Car
  • General Motors wind tunnel
  • President Obama drives the Volt
  • Plug-In 2010: Arcimoto Pulse and Barefoot Motors ATV

Categories

Our Writers

Sebastian Blanco

Editor-in-Chief

RSS Feed

Sam Abuelsamid

Associate Editor

RSS Feed

Domenick Yoney

Associate Editor

RSS Feed

View more Writers


Autoblog

DailyFinance

Download Squad

Engadget

Joystiq

Autoblog Spanish

Switched.com

FanHouse

Asylum