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Thursday 12 February 2009

Leading council official Gary McGrogan will be putting an electric prototype car to the test on Sheffield's roads this week and updating this blog daily with his experiences. The Smart Electric Vehicle (Smart EV) is currently on trial with Sheffield City Council's fleet and will be put through its paces in real world conditions by Gary - the Council's Director of Environment and Regulatory Services.



Sheffield Council's Smart EV is one of the first of just 200 cars to be delivered in a UK trial for the introduction of a fully electric version of the popular two-seater Smart car. The Smart EV is powered by a 30kW electric motor, has a top speed of 70mph and is exempt from both Vehicle Excise Duty and congestion charges as it does not produce any harmful emissions that damage the atmosphere.

Makers Mercedes-Benz claim that the electric car is designed to bring a breath of fresh air to the streets and offers nippy in-town performance with 0-30 mph in 6.5 seconds. To put this to the test Gary will be driving the car around Sheffield's hills for ten days from Friday 13th to Monday 23rd February. Keep your eyes on this blog to find out how he gets on!
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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous13 February 2009 at 19:57

    Hi Gary,
    Reminds me of PALERMO I think ? When my Chair tried one out. Correct me if I am wrong, is their car sharing scheme still working ? Don't forget to try it out with a full load including shopping in the boot !!
    Regards to all.
    Mike Wright

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  2. Gary McGrogan15 February 2009 at 14:10

    Hi Mike-I would guess their car sharing is still going as other European countries seem to be ahead of us but I will find out from my contact in Palermo.

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  3. Anonymous20 February 2009 at 10:35

    Gary
    How long does a full charge take. Say you went to the seaside tomorrow with Gran for a fish lunch, when would you be able to get back home??
    Les

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  4. Gary McGrogan20 February 2009 at 17:09

    The range of the car on a full charge is between 50-70 miles depending on the use of lights, heater, radio etc so this particular Smart car is designed for Urban use rather than long distances.
    We are not yet geared up in this country for rapid charge facilities across the road network. Please note Mark Daly's comment on proposals in Portugal.

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