The first of Smart's second-generation Fortwo Electric Drive vehicles will begin rolling off the production line at the firm's Hambach plant in France in mid November, the company announced today.  Initially the all-electric smart will only be available for lease in Berlin and in other cities in Europe and the U.S., but from 2012 it will for sale to anyone through the Smart dealer network. 

Powered by a lithium-ion battery sourced from Tesla Motors (in which parent company Daimler recently bought a 10 percent stake) the plug-in Smartcar's motor will deliver 41 HP and 89 Ft-Lb of torque, good for a 0-60 km/h (0-37 mph) acceleration time of 6.5 seconds, with a full-charge range of just over 72 miles.  The 14 KWh battery pack will be located beneath the floor between the axles, the same volume occupied by the fuel-tank in other smart models, leaving interior space uncompromised. The battery can be charged at any fused 220 Volt socket with Smart claiming that a three-hour charge will get you about 30 to 40 km (25 miles) while a full charge happens "overnight". 

[SOURCE:CarScoop]