Two-Seat smart fortwo EV To Enter Production

The smart fortwo electrical vehicle is set to go into production later this year. The vehicle will originally be leased to consumers in large cities across Europe and North America, then come to market in 2012. A rear-mounted, 30kW engine with a center-mounted, 14kWh lithium ion battery provide up to 72 miles on a full charge. A quick, three-hour, 220-volt charge will give the driver about 18 to 24 miles worth of range, while the full charge will take an overnight plug-in. Meant for city driving, the car tops out around 62 mph. Some of the cities included for the original release are Madrid, Paris, Rome and Hamburg. North American cities weren’t specified. [via World Car Fans]