Mercedes-Benz Rolls Out Electric Smart ForTwo Cabrio

Just in time for the summer, Mercedes-Benz is rolling out the Smart ForTwo cabrio electric drive -- a plug-in electric compact city car that will offer a range of 155km between charges and, in an attempt to preserve battery power, a top speed limited to 130km/h. But there's no need to go fast when you're traveling with the roof down.

As for recharging, Mercedes says that thanks to the addition of a new on-board charger plus an accompanying smartphone app, the car can go from no juice at all to an 80% recharge in two-and-a-half hours.

However, from next year, the company will be launching a 22kw fast charger as an option. It could cut that recharging time to just 45 minutes but only when it's connected to a station that supports three-phase charging.Mercedes-Benz to Launch the New GLA on 5th July!

Nevertheless, even in its current, comparatively slow charging guise, what the car gives up in range it should make up for with fun. At just 2.69 meters from nose to tail and 1.6 m across, the car is incredibly nimble. Even if it takes 11 seconds to go from 0-100km/h it can literally turn on a dime, with a full lock-to-lock turning circle of just 6.95 meters.

Then there's the regenerative braking system that uses a front-mounted radar. When the driver lifts his or her foot off the accelerator, the car automatically knows how quickly it can slow down (the more aggressive the deceleration, the more energy recuperated to the cell) based on the distance between the car and the vehicle in front.

As for the folding fabric roof, it can be dropped in stages, depending on the weather. The section immediately over the driver and passenger's head can be moved back, like a giant sunroof, or the whole structure can fold back, turning the car into a full convertible.

Mercedes is also fully aware that even in hotter countries, it's not possible to drive a drop top as a drop top every day so there's a winter package (complete with heated steering wheel) available and there's a clever pre-cooling system. Owners can set and run the climate control to get the cabin to just the right temperature while the car is still charging, so that when they set off, they're not too hot nor too cold and are not putting undue strain on the batteries.