I was fortunate enough to get this exact model last August, with only 13,300 miles on it. As you said, it's a good commute car and apparently its first owner used it only to travel between home and a commuter rail station. I live in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles) and the range on a full charge is more than adequate for errands and doctor appointments. With careful planning of time and proximity to public EV charging stations, one can easily keep it around an 80% charge. Oh, and that blinking bar while charging? It doesn't, as you thought, indicate charging speed but rather how close to a full charge you are ... each block is 10% of capacity so the next-to-last blinking block meant you were between 80% and 90%. BTW ... I like where the circular gauges are, because they are easily seen with peripheral vision without taking one's eyes off the road. Can you tell I love this little car?
A $60 wallmart battery is what I installed for the accessories. I run the tires at 38 psi so I get less wear on the insides of the rear. May improve range. I only slow 110 volt charge so battery degradation noticed so far.
My 2013 will every now and then not turn on. No dash lights even. Completely dead. So I disconnect the 12 volt battery and top it off with with my battery charger. Then I shock the dash 3 times. Eureka! Car comes back to life. At 40K I had to replace the 12volt battery and new tires.
Great review, I have... HAD the exact same car and I LOVE IT! I drive mine every day to work and back and charge overnight on level 1. I average 65 miles range and I have modded my car and lost some range but worth it!
Thanks! Glad to hear it's working out for you. Never could understand why more people didn't appreciate SMART in general. The cars really were quite marvels of engineering. But, that's coming from a car guy. We only make up less than 1% of the population. Cheers,
@@theevolvingworld I believe that the stock Smart car was not popular with many people was the gas version had no power and a clunky shifting transmission. I absolutely love mine, it's electric, lowered 1.5" and the track is 8" wider than stock. So mine drives like a go cart. Quick take off, quick steering and quick stopping. Super fun in traffic!
@@HandyDan My friend Mike Hagerty has been a television auto reporter for more than a decade and he has also said the gasoline version was a "disaster" for exactly the reasons you cited.
@@theevolvingworld I had a chevy spark gas car as a rental once on a business trip, and it was a clear Hate for me. The road noise was so bad I had a helluva headache after some 7 miles. I bought the little smart electric 2015 this weekend, and we drove it around and I took it to work and back today. It was the best choice by far. I love love love that open glass roof! Didn't like the cabriolet, the cloth roof had some sour smell to it, so I took a hard top, and I'm really glad I did. It handles exceptionally well, solid around corners, and the acceleration is sublime on city streets, and it's Quiet, no road noise. I didn't like how the headrest of the fiat 500e pushed my head that 1cm forward. Didn't like it at all, didn't even want to start that car for the test drive because of it.
Oddly, mine says only 43miles available from full charge. and it drops FAST! perhaps I drive like a maniac, most likely the person who only drove 6k miles with it wrecked the battery by letting it sit there at 0% for many months. Oh well, it's enough for my 12mile commute
10:00 The fun to drive character of the Smart ED always put a smile on my face. Agree that this generation has rough ride. New 2018 Smart ED has softer suspension.
As with any used car, it's all about what condition it's in. Clean title, no flood damage, etc etc. With this specific model make sure the hv battery is in excellent shape.
Nothing mentioned about ventilation - does it have Airconditioning or at least a fan blower for the cabin? Does it have demister capability on the front and rear windows if the fog up in inclement weather?
@@theevolvingworld Thank you! That makes this vehicle a very worthy commuter vehicle contender for me London UK with its continuously growing Congestion and Ultra Low Emissions Zones 😃👍🏾
It will be in it's best element in a city such as London 🇬🇧. BTW, I love London, I was there last in 2020 Feb-mid-March (finished just as Covid-19 scare skyrocketed). I never felt more "at home" for the two weeks spent walking London and the other two weeks driving / sightseeing the whole southern coast. Can't wait to continue where I left off at for the next 28 day visit in 2023. Cheers!
To complain several times throughout this video about ‘lack of power’ in this car can’t be further from the truth! This tiny car is in fact a little rocket!... It will blow the doors off pretty well any ‘fossil fuel’ vehicle. This car is designed to operate exclusively for inner city traffic and speeds, up to ~60 km/h (~40 mph). One of the biggest advantages of Electric Drive Trains is the availability of max. torque right from standstill. This tiny EV accelerates from 0 to ~60 km/h (~40 mph) in less than 3 seconds !!!... A long shot from ‘lack of power’ and in fact this amazing amount of power is one of THE biggest fun factors of this little electric city car! Not once in this entire video did this test driver press the accelerator pedal to the floor to make use of the available power!... All he did was constantly complaining about ‘lack of power’🙄. Another poor judgment is the critique of the location of the Battery Gauge and the Power/Regeneration Gauge... Location and size/visibility in the middle of the dashboard is absolutely perfect👌.
Price range for a 2015 electric drive now averages $7000 - $12000 in my area as the value of electric cars overall have increased as they are harder to find, more charging stations are in place, and gas prices have gone up. The 2015 smart electric drive is one of four EV’s our family owns and is our favorite car to drive around town. We plan on buying another smart electric drive for our son when he turns 16.
I was fortunate enough to get this exact model last August, with only 13,300 miles on it. As you said, it's a good commute car and apparently its first owner used it only to travel between home and a commuter rail station.
I live in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles) and the range on a full charge is more than adequate for errands and doctor appointments. With careful planning of time and proximity to public EV charging stations, one can easily keep it around an 80% charge.
Oh, and that blinking bar while charging? It doesn't, as you thought, indicate charging speed but rather how close to a full charge you are ... each block is 10% of capacity so the next-to-last blinking block meant you were between 80% and 90%.
BTW ... I like where the circular gauges are, because they are easily seen with peripheral vision without taking one's eyes off the road.
Can you tell I love this little car?
I Love this car! EV lovely! Great video! Thank you for showing it to us!
A $60 wallmart battery is what I installed for the accessories. I run the tires at 38 psi so I get less wear on the insides of the rear. May improve range. I only slow 110 volt charge so battery degradation noticed so far.
My daughter loves her 2015 Smart electric drive ⚡️
My 2013 will every now and then not turn on. No dash lights even. Completely dead. So I disconnect the 12 volt battery and top it off with with my battery charger. Then I shock the dash 3 times. Eureka! Car comes back to life. At 40K I had to replace the 12volt battery and new tires.
Great video! We want one
This car is fun to drive!
Too bad parts are no longer available.
Great review, I have... HAD the exact same car and I LOVE IT! I drive mine every day to work and back and charge overnight on level 1.
I average 65 miles range and I have modded my car and lost some range but worth it!
Thanks! Glad to hear it's working out for you. Never could understand why more people didn't appreciate SMART in general. The cars really were quite marvels of engineering. But, that's coming from a car guy. We only make up less than 1% of the population. Cheers,
@@theevolvingworld I believe that the stock Smart car was not popular with many people was the gas version had no power and a clunky shifting transmission.
I absolutely love mine, it's electric, lowered 1.5" and the track is 8" wider than stock. So mine drives like a go cart. Quick take off, quick steering and quick stopping. Super fun in traffic!
@@HandyDan My friend Mike Hagerty has been a television auto reporter for more than a decade and he has also said the gasoline version was a "disaster" for exactly the reasons you cited.
Q: Is this the best city / short commute ev car in the world ? For me it's got to be a contender . Tks great review .
It was really nice to have you, fiat500e man, review the smart. I value your opinion as I weigh my options between the two
Thanks, don't forget to consider the chevy spark EV, the most 'love it or hate it' EV of all time.
@@theevolvingworld I had a chevy spark gas car as a rental once on a business trip, and it was a clear Hate for me. The road noise was so bad I had a helluva headache after some 7 miles.
I bought the little smart electric 2015 this weekend, and we drove it around and I took it to work and back today. It was the best choice by far. I love love love that open glass roof! Didn't like the cabriolet, the cloth roof had some sour smell to it, so I took a hard top, and I'm really glad I did. It handles exceptionally well, solid around corners, and the acceleration is sublime on city streets, and it's Quiet, no road noise. I didn't like how the headrest of the fiat 500e pushed my head that 1cm forward. Didn't like it at all, didn't even want to start that car for the test drive because of it.
Oddly, mine says only 43miles available from full charge. and it drops FAST! perhaps I drive like a maniac, most likely the person who only drove 6k miles with it wrecked the battery by letting it sit there at 0% for many months. Oh well, it's enough for my 12mile commute
I'm glad you found the perfect EV... for you! Cheers,
10:00 The fun to drive character of the Smart ED always put a smile on my face. Agree that this generation has rough ride. New 2018 Smart ED has softer suspension.
Is 2015 with 5000 miles at $6000 a good deal for this car?
As with any used car, it's all about what condition it's in. Clean title, no flood damage, etc etc. With this specific model make sure the hv battery is in excellent shape.
@@theevolvingworld thanks, I emailed the seller on craigslist, no response for a few days... guess that one is not meant for me, i can wait
Nothing mentioned about ventilation - does it have Airconditioning or at least a fan blower for the cabin? Does it have demister capability on the front and rear windows if the fog up in inclement weather?
Those are typical standard equipment items on any 2015 U.S. spec. car, including this one.
@@theevolvingworld Thank you! That makes this vehicle a very worthy commuter vehicle contender for me London UK with its continuously growing Congestion and Ultra Low Emissions Zones 😃👍🏾
It will be in it's best element in a city such as London 🇬🇧. BTW, I love London, I was there last in 2020 Feb-mid-March (finished just as Covid-19 scare skyrocketed). I never felt more "at home" for the two weeks spent walking London and the other two weeks driving / sightseeing the whole southern coast. Can't wait to continue where I left off at for the next 28 day visit in 2023. Cheers!
How many miles total on a full charge?
About 68 EPA range (when new).
To complain several times throughout this video about ‘lack of power’ in this car can’t be further from the truth! This tiny car is in fact a little rocket!... It will blow the doors off pretty well any ‘fossil fuel’ vehicle. This car is designed to operate exclusively for inner city traffic and speeds, up to ~60 km/h (~40 mph). One of the biggest advantages of Electric Drive Trains is the availability of max. torque right from standstill. This tiny EV accelerates from 0 to ~60 km/h (~40 mph) in less than 3 seconds !!!... A long shot from ‘lack of power’ and in fact this amazing amount of power is one of THE biggest fun factors of this little electric city car! Not once in this entire video did this test driver press the accelerator pedal to the floor to make use of the available power!... All he did was constantly complaining about ‘lack of power’🙄.
Another poor judgment is the critique of the location of the Battery Gauge and the Power/Regeneration Gauge... Location and size/visibility in the middle of the dashboard is absolutely perfect👌.
Mike Delphine I love the acceleration so much on it that a blew the engine rubber mounts😂😂😂. They used the same one as the gas version...
Thank you :-).
Can some one tell me the price range of this car
Around $4,000 - $7,000 + taxes/shipping.
@@theevolvingworld thank you so much
The Evolving World from where? Can I get it shipped to Grand Rapids Michigan
Price range for a 2015 electric drive now averages $7000 - $12000 in my area as the value of electric cars overall have increased as they are harder to find, more charging stations are in place, and gas prices have gone up.
The 2015 smart electric drive is one of four EV’s our family owns and is our favorite car to drive around town. We plan on buying another smart electric drive for our son when he turns 16.
Lower the air psi in the tires for a better ride.
… and much worse range … and much worse tire life
Does this model have a obd2 port?
Yes it does have OBD2, but since its Electric it has a different set of diagnostics.
change microphone
That's smart 😂 got. ED.