Stuttgart  - The second generation electrically-driven Smart fortwo goes into production in November this year, fitted with a 30- kW electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery unit that gives it a range of about 115 kilometres on a single charge, the Daimler concern has announced.

The new Smart will initially be leased to customers in Berlin and other European cities and in the United States for testing in everyday conditions before it becomes available at Smart dealerships in 2012.

Feedback from testing a fleet of 100 Smart electric cars from the first generation in London has been very positive, according to the manufacturer.

The second generation lithium-ion battery from Tesla Motors Inc., with a capacity of 14 kWh, can be charged from an 220-volt electric socket. The range of 115 kilometres is enough for the average 30-40 kilometres travelled by most drivers in cities and towns each day.

Acceleration performance matches that of the petrol model at 6.5 seconds from zero to 100 km/h. Maximum speed has been limited to 100 km/h.

Based on the Smart fortwo coupe/cabrio passion, the second generation E-drive vehicle comes with automatic temperature control. In addition to the battery indicator, an ammeter shows the consumption and the recovered energy. (dpa)