First Drive: 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive makes a lot of sense for a few people

Zach Bowman — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Technology, Smart, New Car Reviews, Electric

2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive - Click above for high-res image gallery

As a population, the way we approach transportation hasn't changed significantly since the aircraft first fluttered onto the scene way back in 1903. In over 100 years, we've simply been refining the recipe we know the best instead of coming up with a new brew all together. Doing so has inextricably tied our civilization to the internal combustion engine, complete with all of its pitfalls. While we've more or less known that roping ourselves to oil is neither sustainable nor responsible since the early '70s, it wasn't until gas prices went haywire that the American population realized just how dependent it was on the black stuff.

Conveniently, with those astronomical figures at the pump came the plucky little Smart ForTwo, a car that symbolized what could be accomplished if a driver were willing to sacrifice everything for a low-cost, high-efficiency vehicle. With fuel prices hovering above $4.00 per gallon, sales exploded for a short time, and news outlets around the country heralded Smart as the face of the future for U.S. transportation. But it wasn't long before gas prices crawled back down, and Smart sales went catatonic just as quickly as they took off.

Now the company has jumped into the race to be one of the first to bring a completely viable electric vehicle to market with the 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive. It's a move that just might alter the transportation landscape for good - not just in the U.S,, but around the globe.

Gallery: 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive: First Drive

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First Drive: 2011 Smart ForTwo Electric Drive makes a lot of sense for a few people originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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