smart EQ fortwo 2020 Goes Electric-Only (ENG) - First Drive and Review

[@VPB1970]

(regarding some of the comments) I cannot understand why people can't comprehend the reason why we buy smart cars. Why people compare it to any other car. A smart car is its own concept, and many have tried to copy and never could do it with any commercial success (IQ etc). It has is own merits. I've owned every generation (450, 451 and 453 - all gasoline, non electric - my daily driver) (and I also have 2 bmws, a 5 and a 1 series by the way). In my personal (and very intensly lived) opinion, a Smart is a very focus and practical car, a kind of 4 wheel scooter that you can enjoy in the city and on a daily commute. It was never engineered to be a truck, a SUV, a large sedan or anything else other then a very compact micro car able to serve has a very practical and economical (consumption wise) for everyday use, with all it quirks and particularities, that either you like or not. I personally love them, and I use my smart every day, and much more then any of my other cars, just because it's pratical, very easy to park (in the offices garage I can park two smarts in single place), and overall very fun to drive in town and even in my 60 kms commute to the city. I personally don't want anything else. ITs expensive to buy but you have to take in account the technology involved in making a small car with this degree of safety and overall quality. It's much easier to engineer and manufacture a large SUV in a way it's safe enough to pass the EuroNcap safety standard (or all the equivalent tests around the world) then to make such a small car as safe as any of the large sedans and compacts. You have to take all that in consideration!

[@MarekDrives]

Since smart is your third car, price doesn't seem to be an issue. However smart (even ICE) is very expensive, and therefore people start comparing it to larger cars. For the price of a smart you could easily get something like a Clio, which may not be as easy to park or to zip in through traffic, but can be your only car for all occasions.

[@macrichardson7440]

this guy has a great sense of humor enjoyed this!

[@YusufYusuf-oq3ts]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

[@annrobinson7766]

Yes I bought one. Love it. We aren’t going too far in the next while so this should work. Great. Not having to buy petrol.

[@donnie8032]

"And so could my girlfriend" Rip this poor guy

[@imperial-dynamics-official]

Smart cars are INSANELY popular here in Thessaloniki Greece. Finding a parking spot here is a nightmare and Smart cars have a huge advantage compared to bigger ones.

[@Qrail]

I had a 2015 Smart Electric drive. At the end of the lease, I turned it in. The residual price was $18,880, after 3 years. My economy was 3.9 miles per kWh. My range in California was 90 miles per charge. (No snow or cold weather here). Thank you for showing me something that is not available here in the states. I drive an Audi A3 etron hybrid now.

[@MarekDrivesENG]

That's more than a KIA e-Soul!

[@mgrella63]

Smart left the USA in Dec of 2019. Ive owned 2 gas engine Smarts Cabrios! They were both Awesome!

[@ArkadiuszFlak]

it is perfect only if you live in a land of perfect roads and no speed bumps

[@rogerfroud300]

@@ArkadiuszFlak - I guess you've never owned one then. A firm ride is not a problem for Sports Car owners, and it's not a problem for my Smart Car. It makes me smile every time I drive it, it's an awesome little gutsy car and I love it.

[@ArkadiuszFlak]

@@rogerfroud300 You are right I've never owned a Smart but I drove one several times. I also can compare it with other small cars. I used to have VW Lupo and Fiat 500 and I have to say that I absolutely loved our Lupo 1.7SDI. In comparison with Smart, Lupo was a smooth drive with tons of power.

[@zekaifan4544]

I don’t think it’s a particularly good idea to drive one of these on an interstate at all. Driving without using a major freeway in the USA is probably restricted to Manhattan and a few more downtowns.

[@rogerfroud300]

@@zekaifan4544 - If you're concerned about it from a handling point of view, then don't be. I take my Smart 451 the length and breadth of the UKs motorway network and it's perfectly safe and steady in normal conditions at the 70mph limit. In very high winds, all cars are buffeted about, and yes, you feel it more in a small car. If the conditions are really bad, just drive a little slower. It's no big deal.

[@TeamGodandChrist90s]

Cutest car to drive for fun.

[@rogertherrien1128]

Yes I do wanna electric car very soon. I had a gas powered smart in 2012

[@Larry]

I so had my heart on one, but the limited range of the battery is a killer for me. If they made one that did 300 Miles, they'd be flying off the shelves, erm , forecourts.

[@thearousedeunuch]

Bigger batteries need space. The Smart is a small car.

[@Larry]

@@thearousedeunuch I think given the option of sacrificing boot space, people would have gladly chosen that option. there's even mods of people doing just that.

[@MarekDrives]

Space and weight. Above certain weight it doesn't make sense to increase battery capacity, because then you have to make greater adjustments to the suspension, etc. I'm not saying this is the range sweet spot. I think this car should have double the range. But 300 miles is for much larger cars. Also because driving a smart long distance doesn't make sense.

[@thearousedeunuch]

@@MarekDrives Exactly. Not only that, but adding weight reduces range. It's a balancing act of sorts.

[@TedKidd]

Even +150 miles and fast charging....

[@apexerman1]

An entertaining and cheeky review. In the world of EV's, this one is hard to justify based on range and price. It has a specific use case for a certain group of people. However, the car can be quite fun to drive. Short wheelbase cars feel like a go-kart and that makes handling fun. Add the zippy, seamless power of electricity and a case could be made that this is more fun to drive than your average EV. Plus, it's one of the few EV convertibles made. And the styling still looks good. So yeah, sheer practicality? Not ideal for some. Sheer fun? A better argument.

[@jackmccourt6180]

It really needs at least double this range to be relevant.

[@Lectusis1]

With my Smart fortow electric drive, I have done 176,5 Kms. 145\150 it is normal if you don't use the AC in town.

[@MarekDrives]

If you don't use AC, why have it in the first place?

[@Lectusis1]

@@MarekDrives I use the AC in the same way I have 82 hp and I don't use them all, all the time. I use the AC whan I need. If the weather is good, the temperatures around 21º c, why should I use the AC? For what? To have a confortable temperature that is around 21º c? It will be a pointless use of battery energy.

[@EdwinChenLoo]

There are people who don't live in big cities and just need a car to groceries, take a kid to school, go to church, local stores, go to a train station to go to work, etc. I feel the review was a tad negative. The back door should hold about 200lb, and there was no detailed description of what was in the front of the car or about internal controls/knobs, how to charge/how regen worked. Its acceleration is supposed to be good yet it wasn't measured. I get the reviewer didn't like the car but could have tried to still go over facts and data a bit more. Its good to have car reviewers though but it helps to aim them at people who are interested on how it works, what would it take to drive/own a particular car. Thanks for pointing out its shortcomings.

[@MarekDrives]

It's a first drive/launch event. We have limited time with the car (as in 3-4 hours). I won't mention the storm that went over Valencia at the time, because it's my problem, not yours.

[@cliverawson1]

My electric step-through motorcycle can also take 2 people and about the same luggage for a fraction of the price. Real city range >150km. Charge time 3-4hours from empty. No weather protection - but more fun and easier to park!

[@MarekDrivesENG]

In certain places a bike makes more sense for sure.

[@Soothsayer210]

Post from Canada: I see lots of used 2014 Smart for two EVs on sale for less than 8000$. I think i will pick up one of that this Summer and drive around till 2023 by which time i hope we will have Solid State Batteries that does not degrade in Canadian Winter and the cost of EVs would have dropped down so much that it would have crossed price parity will ICE cars of all sizes and shapes. Do you hear the death knell of Fossil Fuels?

[@SasquatchMelee]

Greeting from a fellow Canuck... Great little car. But be prepared to have a crippled range in winter... 250 W/km is the norm in around -10C. In summer, I achieve half that consumption. So in winter, 50-60 km range. Don't bother getting a 240V charging station, when your 120V charger is set to 12 amps, you'll fill up the Smartie overnight easily. I've also seen that the battery is not really impacted by degradation since the onboard charger is only 3.6kWh...

[@Soothsayer210]

@@SasquatchMelee thanks for the post. I have heard about the winter degradation. I was thinking plugging in and pre warming the batteries might help a bit. Anyway i was only expecting 60km range for winter driving conditions.

[@Gracievision]

i came close to getting one of these in the spring, but i, like you, couldn't reconcile the high price with the low range.

[@mbcoll8154]

I really see this as a better for the 'burbs and grocery getting 2nd car.

[@themichal2298]

I've always been a big fan of smart! But buying brand new one is a bit stupid cause the value drops a lot. I might wait like 10 years and buy used haha I only drive 15 km a day is the battery range is good enough for me ;)

[@Land-of-reason]

The quality of SMART cars are apauling. The cost of maintenance is astronomical. A friend of mine calls it a DIM - and he is correct.

[@htimsid]

More info, please.

[@Kueytwo]

I would like a smart electric car. Or a car that runs on water only 😊

[@melh2581]

You always provide such a clear review - thank you so much Marek 👍

[@MarekDrivesENG]

I appreciate that!

[@briangriffiths114]

I'd be happy to replace my Twingo GT in a couple of years time with the electric SmartforFour if they doubled the range but kept the price the same. Hopefully, improving battery technology might enable this. BTW, really enjoyed your review!

[@starlitegaize]

Brian Griffiths I’m disappointed in my ForFour - had it a year and there are so many annoying things about it. From the awful range (about 70 miles) to the rear seats which - all I can say is never be a passenger in one... I’d look at the E-Up or the MG at nearly matching prices.

[@briangriffiths114]

Thanks, Robin, owner reviews are always better than a road test so I appreciate your advice. The E-Up and its siblings are very much on my radar.

[@starlitegaize]

Brian Griffiths dont her me wrong, I had a Smart since 1998 - then a convertible and a few others in between. I was a huge fan. I handed my for2 back last February and picked up the EV but ... the range is just disappointing. At best you’ll get 70miles. The quirk is you have to reset the trip meter after you’ve charged to get a true range reading. The app works most of the time. But in the instance of a trip to Brighton - the charging points we visited were out of order. So what’s the point? So in a year I have covered just 1500 miles - that was a couple trips to Brighton and to the shops/tip/church on Sunday 🤣🤣🤣😉 - if it’s not used the brakes become very noisy!!! Until they’ve heated up. But I loved your review - so thank you.

[@Avrglife]

Video is awesome .... love the jokes 🤣

[@brandybeckydoc]

Loved the video you are quite entertaining

[@galloping5273]

Is one of the front led running lights broken???

[@nelsonoliveira1007]

I enjoy my 2006 diesel because I can driver 425 to 450 kms for under $ 20 to a full tank of driving. The range is low for this electric Smart.

[@chrisabbott683]

Hilarious price for such a tiny car with a tiny battery.

[@mrsun9775]

Chris Abbott well, trust me , its the cheapest electric car.

[@chrisabbott683]

mrsun9775 And so it should be. Look at it!

[@iniuni1447]

They sell "tiniest"... not sell a car... is like tamiya that you can drive on it... for hobby or a kid

[@cashbonanza963]

@@mrsun9775 Take a look at Citroen Ami. 70 km of range, at 6000 euros

[@rodrigoralha7323]

mrsun9775 Volkswagen e-up 21k with 4 seats and 260km of range....

[@tradersato]

I had an ICE Fortwo and loved driving it for the five or so hours drive to Miami from Jacksonville Florida and run around in Miami. The EQ is just a golf cart now... that range is really a joke. How unfortunate.

[@densek510]

One question - is smart for two still dies completely if its stands uncharged for a month?!

[@MarekDrives]

I don't know. I never had one for a month.

[@densek510]

Marek Drives kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKu4eIN3pMiSaZI there was an issue when two smart ed after deep discharge has lost firmware on battary control units and the only one official solution was to buy new battery

[@erikkrols9999]

Yes. I left mine (2014 ED) for 4 months without charging. The 12 V battery was out of juice. I jump started the 12 V battery and the car drove perfectly.. Now I leave my car connected to the charger and that way the main battery and 12 V keep charged.

[@densek510]

In video link above TWO SMARTs main high voltage battery controller firmware died off and some cell and Dc sensor died - the oficcials solution was to buy new high voltage batteries for two Smarts after deep discharge on the long way from america ))

[@R0GUES]

No mine was fine no voltage drop, I was off the road for two months my battle held charge

[@Nigelrudyardmusic]

I see myself in an electric car in the future, not this one though. The range isn't enough.

[@MrNicu603]

Hey, if can, test please, the new skoda citigo e iv

[@edwardbourke4328]

funny and entertaining review

[@nintendoatarikiller]

In Canada someone parked a smart car perpendicular to the curb and got a ticket for it.

[@MarekDrives]

I wonder what was the original reason for banning perpendicular parking. I imagine it could have been related to exhaust fumes. On some buildings in Poland there are signs asking people to park perpendicular, but with the front of the car facing the building. It is easier to perpendicular reverse park (also easier to drive off safely later on), but was you start the car noise and exhaust fumes are directed at the building. Now with electric cars this should no longer be a problem. Especially as EVs have charging ports all over the place. This one has it on the rear quarter panel, so it only makes sense to reverse park it next to a charging station.

[@derekdavis6508]

We have no plug in stations where I live, so I can't use it.

[@ifbdisbshsbshsbsjbsisnjwsj8540]

you can plug into a regular wall outlet at your house

[@darioradas3523]

how did you put the table without frame

[@MarekDrivesENG]

?

[@krzysztof8954]

Super test

[@everythingatonce177]

Reviewed very good

[@nathanielkenneth]

I absolutely love Smart Fortwos idec what anyone says

[@nawazzaygham9852]

how does the car deal with wind gusts on highway

[@MarekDrives]

It's too slow for it to be a problem.

[@billstone3353]

❤

[@swanblake]

A car that ignores all advancements in the automotive world for the past two decades. No idea who would buy this and ignore all the better made, more economical, and more thoughtfully done A segment/mini cars. The rocking tailgate segment was awkward and hilarious.

[@mathias4060]

Good question. The answer is no, I'd rent a car when I need to leave the city. That said: It's nice to have the flexibility.

[@jfhjr]

I told myself the same thing when I leased my 2017fortwo but turns out the damned thing was so much fun to drive on the open road I never wanted to drive anything else. Best car I’ve ever had.

[@rogerfroud300]

My current Smart Car takes me the length and breadth of the country, it's cheap, has a huge range and I love it. Why would I change it for one that can't do the most basic function of a car, ie take me wherever I want to go? People don't just buy City cars for the City!

[@johna5484]

These cars are for fun. Just a toy. Great for a third car. Love mine.

[@rogerfroud300]

@@johna5484 - Mine is for everything, and I love it. I load it up for long distance service calls I do for business. The Golf clubs go in without taking them off the trolley when I put the passenger seat down. Sure, it's not the most comfortable ride, but it's a blast, and capable of easily taking on long trips because it goes so well on the Motorway. Obviously it's not a family car, but when the family leave home, it's just perfect for what I need. It's cheap to run and more smiles per gallon than anything else I've ever owned.

[@TedKidd]

Keys still, silly shifter taking valuable RE. Car will be so much better without those anachronisms

[@lindonandlisa8114]

Another always entertaining car review I can't imagine ever buying that piece of junk sorry

[@rogerfroud300]

If it had 250 miles range, it would be an awesome car.

[@ridgmont61]

The bonnet opening is horrible.

[@thearousedeunuch]

I feel like the front bumper's paint can get scratched by the hood itself.

[@BBBYpsi]

They just stopped making them available in the United States.

[@FurkanSavas]

6:05 well after covid19 its obvious why :)

[@poppetrurazvan3900]

Wonderfull, Thank You. P

[@sickfruit]

As usual great review. The cars pretty crap though!

[@alliejr]

They DO sell these so for SOMEONE, the use case makes sense. But I still don’t get it. ...If I live in a city then I probably need a car to LEAVE the city, or to get large household items such as from Ikea or Costco. This car can do neither of those things. A Prius, with about the same size battery, can.

[@kieranmcelwee]

I’m thinking of getting one of these as a second car for my wife’s commute. Range we can live with, price however o the steep side. Car is ideal for her needs though and super easy to park in tiny city spaces.

[@johnpcwarrior]

make a review of peugeot ion

[@philippeplouchart8156]

The answer should be an electric Citroën 2cv.

[@nureenaubagh6399]

Sir how many rs it cost of this car

[@lener6345]

Roughly 10 lakh(I don't know exactly though)

[@blacksailorblacksail]

0:52 what music playing?

[@MarekDrives]

KZbin stock music. I don't remember what it is.

[@blacksailorblacksail]

@@MarekDrives Thanks

[@vitostars6182]

Marek zrób odcinek o najnowszym audi A8 lub S8

[@CW-sc6qr]

The limited range make this sexy and pretty city car a petty shity car.

[@ittanbantan]

I want a car even if the transportation is good...covid

[@PolishJoe1000]

Did your woman dump you after, on camera, you implied she's fat? That bonnet is the cheesiest thing on a car that I've ever seen...

[@MajorSpam]

1100kg???

[@NapoleonDynamites]

So can you charge up this car with your phone! 🤔

[@MarekDrives]

Not yet, but I guess a bigger powerbank will do :)

[@NapoleonDynamites]

@@MarekDrives hehe, from the mileage it looks like it's a powerbank that's running it. 👍

[@R0GUES]

I've had mine over 2 years done 17k miles I use 50 - 60 % battery most days used on motorway and city driving. Review is not showing the car at it's best shame really. One big negative I believe the software has been remotely updated which has affected charging and performance because it s slower plus pre climate control system will not let me charge instantly if programmed. Going for factory reset at dealership 🤬

[@MarekDrives]

AFAIK the smart doesn't get OTA updates.

[@R0GUES]

@@MarekDrives thanks for the reply, how would you explain software glitch after 2 years of trouble free motoring? Unless dealership did some sort of software update at last service 🤔

[@MarekDrives]

That's more likely.

[@xtreamgaming7676]

I want a smart car

[@gabeldn]

Who is watching this after reading that by 2030 your smart for two 2008 will be obsolete 😱

[@conradautaeuleasing9365]

:)

[@Sashalexandros]

2:38, same

[@michaeldawson6309]

Crap range. Not much more to say. 150 miles should be the min to get a solid 100 miles under ALL conditions and driving styles. I'll wait a few more years for the market to meet my requirements. most likely China will sort this one out.

[@theHoolser]

last generation Smart ED is better car with longer range , same size battery slower car, how can they not put in a bigger battery, so stupid.

[@vezunchik8754]

They asking way too much for a small car like that. Not worth buying!

[@4figgis957]

I thought about it and no I wouldn't buy one

[@grahamjohnson4702]

When will you understand they are not wing mirrors? they are door mirrors

[@MarekDrives]

Actually side-mirrors, if you want to be 100% correct.

[@kazuya14]

A bit disappointed with the review. Everything was rushed. Yes it’s expensive, yes it has small range... bla-bla. Please try to be enthusiastic next time. Until then, Autogefühl !!!!

[@MarekDrives]

I'm Polish. We're not enthusiastic about anything.

[@slametawaluddin]

Wuling ev is the best

[@mrsun9775]

Electric is a terrible choice ! On winter you wont get to far in this car sadly ! 75 km you can travel on summer . Sucks !!!

[@danielpatrulei1973]

its shit this rubbish fully charged last only one half hours its discharge when its parked stay well clear

[@trueworldnorman8544]

Because no one likes public transport dhaaaa

[@mwtrolle]

Moving production to China, that just turned me off this car! Unless he meant the Republic of China aka Taiwan and he didn't! You can't know if the future models and spare parts are made by slave labor anyway I do not wanna support that evil regime more then I have to. I did wanna get cheap in city electric, and ware looking at the Fortwo and Forfour. Now I'll find something else! Anyway who do companies keep doing it, the CCP will make forced technology transfer or reverse engineer the car. Then outcompete the original company! Stop moving production to PRC and stop buying stuff made there as much as possible. Move the production to Vietnam or India instead! This is a STUPID move, not a SMART one! This car should from this day be called STUPID EQ ForTwo 2020!

[@MarekDrives]

www.daimler.com/company/news/joint-venture-with-geely.html

[@vvp1002]

not sure that a car :)

[@landrewmackinnon4888]

Check out the "Ami"

[@rmar7081]

weird

[@barriewilliams4526]

Ridiculous price for a shoebox & coupled with short-range makes it only suitable for rich people who want it as a second car city runabout. Joke!!

[@MatteoTortello_com]

♻🔋👏💪🔝❤