Battery degradation test A Smart ForTwo is a real city car. We check the battery condition of a Smart ForTwo.
Modest battery, considerable degradation
A Smart ForTwo is a real city car. That means a lot of short pieces in general: ideal for driving fully electrically. But how long will that little rascal last, with that modest battery pack on board? We check the battery condition of a 2014 Smart ForTwo Edition with almost a ton and a half on the clock.
Gürkan Kirca is a pioneer. He consciously made the transition from a car with a combustion engine to a fully electric car. The 26-year-old Amsterdammer is now even a true EV believer. It all started with Car2go, a car-sharing project in Amsterdam from Mercedes-Benz where you could rent a Smart ForTwo per minute to drive from A to B in the capital. “I saw all those nice white and green Smarts on the street in the city. But you had to have had your driver’s license for at least a year to participate in Car2go,” says Gürkan. He kicked off as a novice driver with his parents’ car, that’s how it goes. But on the day he owned his driver’s license for a year, he booked one hour of free driving credit in a Car2go Smart. “I loved it and was immediately hooked. I enjoyed blasting through the city with that Smart. It’s just a go-kart. Then I decided: I also want a Car2go Smart, but for myself.”
To Stuttgart for this used ForTwo
Gürkan then went looking for a used Smart. But that was not so easy. Certainly not if you want an electric one, with heated seats. And it has no damage. He had to abandon his search, because he found nothing useful. But not for long. “I studied and was able to spend a semester abroad. Then I chose Stuttgart, the city that breathes cars. There is the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz, but also of Porsche and Smart. That seemed like something to me.” In Germany, Gürkan found what he was looking for. A used ForTwo, in white and green and with heated seats and a battery pack. “The car was from 2014 and was gathering dust in a showroom. The first owner had been a female commuter who drove 75 kilometers every day. I bought it with 106,000 km on the clock for €5,200 plus €65 per month in battery rental.” That was possible because Gürkan was officially living in Germany at the time. When he left there, the rental agreement could not go to the Netherlands and he still had to pay €2,200 for the battery pack.
He arranged transport to take the Smart from Stuttgart to Amsterdam, but that operation fell through at the last minute. “So I drove him home myself. That is quite a company with a range of less than 100 kilometers and without fast charging options.”
Driving home from Stuttgart: not recommended!
Gürkan made a virtue of necessity and planned a two-night trip to get the Smart home. “I really don’t recommend it to anyone.” But he is not made for a little one, because he has already driven to Turkey with his father in a Renault Zoe.
With a modest battery and a limited range, every lost battery cell hurts. That’s the case here. This Smart now has a driving range of about 65 kilometers … Although Gürkan is a big fan of the Smart concept and its dynamic driving behavior, he is now reaching the limit of what is still usable. “If you live and work in Amsterdam, it’s doable, but I’m still going to look for a little more car and a little more range. But an EV anyway!” Thus happened. Gürkan has now bought a young, used Volkswagen ID3 with the largest battery pack and the highest equipment level. Popped up in Germany.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl