Five Months and 4000 Miles

Five Months and 4000 Miles

Okay, okay, so I didn't meet my original goal of 1000 miles per month.  Admittedly, I thought that I would be initially driving a demo car for Beshoff Motorcars, the local Mercedes-Benz / Smart Center.  As it turns out, I'm not as good at selling cars as I thought I was and the Manager of the Dealership read me like an open book.   But I have yet to stop writing about his little car and I expect to continue indefinitely.

What have I learned in five months?

For the first three months I definitely spent a great deal of time tracking at the ECO bar at the bottom of the status screen in the dash.  I've since come to realize that this is not for me.  My own natural style of driving is quite economical and that watching the bar actually caused my performance to decrease.

 During the seven years prior to owning a micro-car, I owned large trucks.  For the most part my personal driving habits have me slowing down early and accelerating slowly.  While constantly eyeing the ECO bar my performance stuck to about 3.4 mi / kWh (115 MPGe), but without my performance jumped to 3.75 mi / kWh (126 MPGe).  

I've also learned that I can go further than I had previously thought possible in a day.  Now that I have my EVSE installed, I don't worry so much about not having enough time to recharge if i burn the whole battery.  Recharging does still take a lot longer than most EVs, but I've come to accept that 12 miles I can get in an hour. The fact that I don't often travel more than 50 miles in a day, is quite practical and a peacemaker for my sanity. 

I still haven't gotten used to the incredible acceleration from stopped.  I find myself seeking the front of the line at a traffic signal, because I know that the 50 horses will be at the ready instantly.  I don't race people, but I have kept pace with some to see how much current I use and if I'm actually pushing it (usually not).   

I'm still not sure if people stare at the car in bewilderment or awe.  I get a great deal of strange looks, but usually once they see that it's electric, their eyes widen.  I've gotten a great deal of "that's a cool little car", and "wow, I love your car".  I think the size does still appear to many in the younger crowd.

Niche Market

I've come to accept that the Smart ED and Smart ForTwo Gas / Diesel is a niche.  It's not for everyone.  It's not even an elite club, either.  When a person buys a sports car, they have a purpose for it whether it be looks or speed (or both).  They have to acknowledge that it's low on seating and storage.  But with few exceptions, they probably don't think about how compact it is.  

The Smart ED is best suited for one person, with very little cargo, and a city range.   My wife and I don't have children or pets (that go in the car).  We are both working professionals who work in locations that are not convenient for carpooling.  The Smart ED can hold a full grocery cart-worth of items.  It can tote up to a 37" boxed LCD TV.  I've had multiple desktop computers and even a large enterprise-sized printer (in-box) in the car.  

I cannot however see a family of five purchasing this car for anything other than the oldest child. And even then, that child had better have only one good friend.  I doubt that two parents with a newborn would find this vehicle attractive.  But I can see retirees using it as a Towed or a daily golf-mobile. 

Conclusion

I sincerely appreciate the use I have garnered from the purchase of the Smart ED and still would not trade it for a Tesla S P85 (maybe the battery pack and on-board charger).  I like the form-factor of the Smart ED and the looks I get when people see a 2m-tall man climb from behind the steering-wheel.   I just hope that the battery pack does double before the end of the first 5 years of its lease.  

Upcoming Upgrades

One of the hardest things for people to grasp when it comes to considering an electric car is the range.  Most electric cars just don't have much range on a full charge. You can buy a Tesla S P85 and get 300+ miles before you need to recharge, but you'll need at least $60k to get started or $1k per month in spare change for the lease.  So if you don't have that kind of money to use for an EV that is comparable in range to a gas-powered, what can you get?

Many EVs in a more common price range of $25k-$35k average about 70-100 miles to the charge.  But unlike a most cars, which need to be refueled at a service station, electric cars can be refueled just about anywhere, and for next to nothing.  Alas, there is yet another advantage in electric cars, that gas cars do not have (at least not readily).  Electric cars can get battery upgrades.

The Smart ForTwo Electric Drive is currently the only vehicle available on the U.S. market with a battery lease plan.  That is to say that you can lease the car and battery, or just the battery.  But why would you want to do that?  Leasing the battery, like most leases, means that if anything goes awry, you don't own it. If for example the battery fails before its time, you can get a replacement for nothing extra.  However, the better option is the possibility that you get an upgrade to the battery within the span of the initial lease.

Let's say that within the first 5 years that you own a Smart ED, battery technology improves to the point where it is possible to get double the capacity for the same price.  The Smart ED currently has a range of 68 miles per full charge, that would mean it would have a range of 176 miles per full charge.  And what if the tech advanced to four times, I think you get the picture.

But for those who out-right own the car and battery, an upgrade might be a bit costly.  Of course, it's expected that if the capacity of a battery goes up, the price is likely to come down.  So maybe it won't be so bad.

The big difference between the electric car and the gas car in this case is that gasoline itself, is not getting more efficient.  If you want to do the same thing for a gas car, that you will be able to do for an electric, you'll have to change out the engine too.  And that is not likely to be comparable to the cost of a battery upgrade alone.

I expect that in next ten years when gas cars are required to have at least an efficiency of 50 mpg, that electrics have (with their already 100+ mpge) have at least 300 miles of range.

Smart Cargo

I'd love to have the cargo space inside my Smart ForTwo Electric Drive be equivalent to that of the TARDIS from the British television show Doctor Who.  But for now, transdimensional volumes are no part of vehicle storage spaces. Nevertheless, it is still possible to fit some large objects in the back of the Smart ED.

Car-parison

When I was first seeking a small commuter car, I tried the Scion iQ.  The storage space behind the rear seats is small (3.5 cubic feet), even by comparison to the Smart car (7.8 cubic feet). But the iQ can turn down those back seats and open up a great deal more room (16.7 cubic feet).  However, the iQ is a longer vehicle and, at least for the electric version, has a short range.

What Fits?

It's a bit tricky on occasion, attempting to fit certain items into the back of the Smart car, but with some manipulation I've managed and entire cart of groceries.  As you can see by the above image, a 32" LED television fit nicely, still in the box.  I hedge that I might have been able to fit a 37" LED television, if that had been the purchase.  The one option that came with the car was a pull-out cover for the back.  It can be used to hide whatever is in the back or as a shelf for more stuff.

A Four-wheeled motorbike

A colleague from work noted that the storage space of the Smart was akin to the storage available on a motorbike.  And that the vehicle itself is akin to a motorbike in that it is small and ideal for one person and few extra items. It's size is excellent for parking and maneuvering, and it's not too much trouble to carry along something extra. The key thing he noted however, as a contrast is that the car is much better for driver safety and as a protection against the elements.

Good things, Small Packages

No doubt, many people find the Smart car's small size and tiny storage, unreasonable when coming from a full size sedan or an SUV.  But if you own or have used either a sports car or a sub-compact, you're probably familiar with small storage spaces.

I appreciate the convenient storage of the Smart car, it feels like that familiar Jansport backpack that I used all through highschool and college. There's not a great deal of room, but it's just about all that I need.  It's amazing how much stuff you can cram into your school bag, and the same seems to go for the Smart.  The Smart, by my estimation is car designed for transporting one person.  Sure it can hold two, but it seems best for one.

What do you think about the cargo capacity of the Smart ForTwo ED?

Overcoming Stereotypes

It wasn't until seven years ago that I actually owned anything larger than a wagon. And then for those seven years, I drove only trucks. I used to think that all economy cars were just one step up from riding a bus, because that's exactly what they did for me.

My first car ever, I got in High School and it was a 1983 Subaru GL.  My brother and I said that the GL stood for "glorified lawnmower", because the vehicle was so under-powered. The car did not help quell the stereotypes that small cars can be slow to accelerate, have poor handling, and barely keep up on the freeway. But as with most stereotypes, they're borne out of some semblance of consistent observation.

When you see a small car or after having seen many small cars, and observed each one's performance, it's reasonable to form an opinion about them.  However, as the old adage goes, you should not judge a book by its cover.

Weight Issues

The Smart ED is exceptionally light for an electric vehicle.  It weighs in at a mere 2160 lbs, barely over a ton. Although it is sporting a motor with a maximum power rating of 74 hp, it's no slouch. The primary advantage that all electric vehicles have over every internal combustion engine (ICE) is instantaneous torque.

Get-up And Go

At a standstill, the Smart ED has 100% torque.  While it's certainly possible to spin-up an ICE and get it into gear in the power band at a standstill, several gear shifts will be necessary at increasingly higher speeds.  Most electric car motors do not have a forward gearbox and thus there is no shifting to do.

Agility

And what about maneuverability or speed?  Okay, so I cannot say that the Smart ED has great handling at speed or that you're going to win in the Grand Prix (much less compete), but that's not what it's to be used for. If you need torque to help you pass at speed, it's got plenty, but for the short-term, the Smart ED is a great City Car.

Size Issues

The Smart ED is best used for getting around town or commuting, that is what small cars do well. The best advantage that any Smart car has is to be found in its diminutive size. Outside the use of a motorbike, there's not much of anything that compares well to the ability to "park anywhere", like the Smart car.  The combination of good torque, great mileage in stop-and-go traffic, and pocket-sizing, the Smart the top choice.

In The Mirror

Despite all the good that the Smart ED has going for it in the city, it's still considered by many to be one of the least attractive vehicles.  Mercedes has made some concessions to attempt to bolster the appeal of the smallest production car in the U.S, but including vehicle-wrap options.  When you order, one of the fun things you can do before the end of the form is pick out your colors.  The vehicle wrap will only change the exterior panels, but can be as colorful as your minds-eye can behold.  There are certainly some amazing ideas just on www.SmartUSA.com  

Conclusion

If I haven't already said so in past posts, I bought the Smart ED for its small size and the fact that it is electric.  I still own a Chevrolet Avalanche, which is great for hauling and travelling long distances.  But I now do 90% of my driving in the Smart ED, and am quite happy with it.

Proper Climate

Oh, wouldn't be nice if we could all live in a place where the sun shone daily and it was temperate every day?  Unfortunately, most of the United States is not too close to the tropics where the weather is always nice, but at least a few cities and states have temperate weather.  Alas, why does this matter other than to make us comfortable?  Well, electric car batteries appreciate this climate too.

I live South of San Francisco in the heart of Silicon Valley and although it is quite possible for the temperature to get below freezing and above 100 F, it rarely happens.  We do not see snow or sleet, except once every 30 years and the summers rarely see temperatures above 90.  So it would seem that Silicon Valley would be an ideal place to own an electric car.

A Problem Arises

What is the actual effect that temperature has on batteries?  If you didn't catch the news back in the summer of 2012, shortly after the Nissan Leaf debuted, then allow me to enlighten you.  Many people in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona who purchased the earlier models of the Nissan Leaf had a great deal of trouble with the Leaf.  In the extreme heat of the Arizona desert, the batteries were overheating and failing this reduce the range of the vehicles.

The Physics

The action of drawing electrons from a chemical battery, such as Lithium Ion, creates heat.  Although the amount of heat may not be excessive, if that heat is not dissipated, then it will tend to compound until something gets too hot and fails.  The battery casing is only designed to take a limited amount of heat, that is expected during normal operation,  If the casing fails, so does the structure and integrity of the battery.

A similar problem can be found in the reverse, or rather when the temperature is very cold.  Although some manufacturers have recognized that the cold is a serious problem and have gone out of their way to insulate the battery from the cold.  You may know how the battery feels, that when you are very cold, you have trouble getting work done.  Physically however, the more cold an object gets, the slower the electrons move within it, and thus the battery's performance decreases.

Current Technology

I won't argue with anyone that our current battery technology, although decent by comparison to prior technologies, needs some work.  It would be awesome if the efficiency of our current battery technology was priced and as functional as petroleum products.  Of course electric has it's disadvantages, but it also has advantages, and we will some day find the perfect material for transportation.

But for now, our current technology for power storage is keen to include devices that work best in temperate climates.  Yes, you can still drive in Northern Wisconsin and New York during a polar vortex.  Or in the Arizona desert during the blazing hot summer, just be that the electric vehicle you have, has protection for the battery.