Order books have opened for the fourth-generation of Smart’s Electric Drive range – with prices set to start £16,420 for the two-seat Fortwo, raising to £16,915 for the Forfour and £18,650 for the cabriolet. That’s after the government’s £4,500 OLEV green car grant.

The Electric Drive models are powered solely by an 81hp electric motor turning the rear wheels via a single-speed gearbox. Range is limited to an official 100 miles – although that might drop to around 80 in real-world conditions – with top speed limited to 80mph in a bid to aid efficiency. 0-62mph takes 11.5 seconds.

Using the standard 7kW on-board charger, owners can fully charge the Smart Electric Drive in 2.5 hours using a 16A charger, or six hours using a standard three-pin household socket (from 20 percent charge to full).

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Specification is based on the mid-range Prime model, meaning it comes with heated seats, cruise control, leather seats and 15-inch alloys. Rear parking sensors are added along with sat-nav and an acoustic ambient sound generator to warn pedestrians that you’re approaching. Customers wanting extra equipment can pay £595 for Premium Plus kit, including ambient lighting, centre armrest, LED head and taillights, front fogs, auto lights and rear view camera.

Another £595 adds the Electric Drive design package with bodywork and mirror caps in electric green contrasting with black or white body panels, along with 16-inch alloys and grey Electric Drive decals. A winter package adds a heated steering wheel and additional door and cockpit insulation on the Fortwo (£295), along with heated rear seats on the Forfour (£495).

Source: Smart

Gallery: Smart Electric Drive