Elektromotive and Smart get serious with electric vehicle test

Expanding the partnership between Elektromotive, which makes charging stations, and Daimler, the makers of the all-electric smart ed, the charging company is now the proud guardian of its very own fortwo EV. Elektromotive will use its new highly-decorated smart ed for four years and give Daimler all sorts of testing data regarding the car's battery performance, reliability and range. For its part, Elektromotive will use the test data to make its own charging stations better and bring them to market sooner.

Earlier this year, Smart announced it had received £2.5 million from the UK's Technology Strategy Board for it's electric car trials, including the Elektromotive partnership. We'll see if zero-emission versions of the smart fortwo makes The Office's Michael Scott like them any more (see video after the jump).

[Source: Elektromotive]

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PRESS RELEASE:

ELEKTROMOTIVE AND SMART COLLABORATE ON EV TRIAL

The world's leading provider of electric vehicle (EV) recharging solutions, Elektromotive, has been selected as one of the UK companies trialling the smart electric drive. By testing the car in 'real-life' situations, Elektromotive will provide invaluable data to Mercedes-Benz, the manufacturer of smart, which will help shape the development of this iconic car.

Elektromotive has taken delivery of its own fully electric smart and, over the next 4 years, will report back on the car's battery performance, reliability and range. The information will be evaluated by smart as it moves towards small series production of the smart electric drive in 2010.

The trial will also form part of Elektromotive's ongoing research and development programme, helping it devise new EV charging facilities for installation at the roadside, in car parks, at homes and in business premises.

The keys to the smart electric drive were presented to Elektromotive's Managing Director, Calvey Taylor-Haw, by the smart electric drive Project Manager, Tom Morrison Jones.
at Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands, Surrey.

"The shift towards zero emissions motoring is fast gathering pace, and it is vital that fully compatible recharging infrastructures for EVs are put in place across Europe," said Mr. Taylor-Haw. "With daily access to a smart electric drive we will accelerate the real-world evaluation of new charging technologies, such as fast-charging solutions for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

"To be working with a major manufacturer like smart also enables us to have an input into how future EVs will operate, especially in terms of battery performance."

The smart electric drive has been developed by Mercedes-Benz and is powered solely on electricity. It is virtually silent when running and also emits no harmful substances, such as carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide, into the environment. Charged using a standard three-pin plug, the iconic two seater has a range of up to 70 miles and has a top speed of 60mph.

Dermot Kelly, Managing Director Mercedes-Benz UK, commented, "The smart electric drive project is an important part of our commitment towards developing sustainable transport solutions across the Mercedes-Benz business. smart continues to be a pioneer in the world of environmentally friendly and economical driving and we're delighted that Elektromotive is our partner in this exciting electric car trial."

Already located on roadsides throughout London and in other major UK conurbations, as well as in shopping-centre car parks across the country, the Elektrobay charging station is compatible with all fully-electric vehicles and plug-in electric hybrids. Its ease of use has already proven popular among electric vehicle drivers, leading to round-the-clock usage and heightening demand for additional installations on UK streets.

About Elektromotive
Founded is 2003, Elektromotive is the world's leading provider of technology and engineering solutions for electric vehicle recharging stations. The company's main product is the Elektrobay, a recharging station for on-street or multi-storey car park use.

The simple-to-operate Elektrobay was first introduced in Westminster, London, in 2006, and by October 2009 there will be over 100 Elektrobays located across the capital. A further 90 fully-operational Elektrobay charging stations have been installed in cities and shopping centres around the UK. The Brighton-based company has exported Elektrobays to Sweden, Holland, Germany, Ireland, Iceland and Saudi Arabia.

Elektrobays are typically situated next to parking bays, within easy reach of an electric vehicle's charging point. The Elektrobay's socket is located under a secure, weather-proof door, accessed using a personalised wireless key fob. When charging is in progress, the door locks shut to prevent interference. With a power output of 240 volts AC and 13 amps in the UK, or 230 volts AC and 16 amps in Europe, Elektrobay is compatible with all fully-electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.

For more information on Elektromotive, visit www.elektromotive.com

More about the smart electric drive
A market trial of 100 fully electric smarts is running exclusively in the UK. The car is being made available on a lease arrangement to selected corporate customers. The smart electric drive has been developed in conjunction with Zytek Group, and is exempt from Vehicle Exercise Duty and London Congestion Charge.

The smart electric drive emits no carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, unburned hydro-carbons, particulate matter or any harmful substance – in fact it emits nothing at all. It retains all the safety equipment you would find on a regular smart, so unlike many other electric vehicles, a smart electric drive has ESP (traction control), ABS brakes, driver and passenger airbags and seat belt pre-tensioners. The iconic two seater cars have a top speed of 60mph (electronically limited), a range of 70 miles on a single charge and can achieve the equivalent of 300mpg. The smart electric drive is charged by simply plugging it directly into any UK mains 3 pin plug socket, and a meter on the dash swivels through 90 degrees making it possible to see the state of battery charge.

The smart petrol range of cars start from £8,517.55 and is available through the Mercedes-Benz retail network.