Field testing of electric Smart ForTwo to start in London mid-December

In mid-December Daimler AG will start turning over about 100 battery-powered Smart ForTwos to customers in Central London for a large-scale field test. The cars will be leased mainly to fleets, including the London police, for a four-year trial that will eventually also include two other European cities. The first batch of cars will be equipped with a nickel metal hydride battery packs that should give a range of about 65 miles from a three and a half hour charge. London was chosen for the first trial because they already have a network of free public charging stations. If the test goes well, Daimler plans to launch the electric Smart commercially as soon as 2010.

[Source: Financial Times]