Smart no offers it's entire range with electric drive, all with the government grant.

• fortwo electric drive priced from £16,420 (including OLEV grant)
• Available in three body styles with up to 100-mile range
• On sale now with first customer deliveries due from July 

The smart electric drive range is now on sale, with prices starting from £16,420 for the smart fortwo electric drive (including OLEV grant of £4,500; total price £20,920 excluding grant). 

The forfour electric drive is just £16,915 (£21,415 excluding grant), and the unique fortwo cabriolet electric drive starts at £18,650 (£23,060 excluding grant). This makes smart the only brand that offers all its models with either combustion engines or fully electric drivetrains. 

The smart electric drive features an 81 hp electric motor powering the rear wheels via a single-speed gearbox. The electric drive has a range of up to 100 miles, while its maximum speed is electronically limited to 80 mph to maximise the range. 

The standard 7 kW on-board charger means the smart electric drive can be charged in 2.5 hours using a 16 A charger or just six hours via a standard three-pin household socket (20 per cent to 100 per cent). All models have a top speed of 81 mph and can travel from 0 to 62 mph in 11.5 seconds. 

Specification is based on the well-equipped prime model, which includes heated front seats, cruise control, leather upholstery and 15-inch alloy wheels. Every electric drive model also comes with charging cables for both domestic sockets and public charging stations; rear parking sensors; smart media system with satellite navigation; and an acoustic ambient sound generator. The sound generator creates an artificial engine sound when the vehicle is moving at low speeds to make its presence known to pedestrians and other road users. 

For just £595 customers can add the premium plus equipment line, which includes ambient lighting; centre armrest; LED headlights and tail lights; front fog lamps; automatic lights and wipers; and rear view camera. 

The electric drive design package is available from £595 and adds a tridion cell and mirror caps in electric green; body panels in either black or white with matching grille; 16-inch alloys; and ‘ED’ decals in grey. 

A heated steering wheel, heated rear seats (forfour only) and additional door and cockpit insulation are part of the winter package, which costs £295 on fortwo models and £495 on the forfour. 

Customers can also access the smart control app, which allows the user to view the vehicle’s charging status, and pre-set the climate control via a smartphone.

The Zero Emission Mercedes-Benz B-Class goes on sale in the UK NOW...

• The first volume electric car from Mercedes-Benz goes on-sale in the UK – first deliveries take place in early 2015
• Prices start at £31,950 – OLEV grant lowers this to £26,950
• Sets the benchmark for space and versatility – able to seat five adults and clever packaging means it’s just as practical as the standard B-Class
• Two model lines – Sport and Electric Art – both featuring a comprehensive range of standard equipment

The first volume production electric car by Mercedes-Benz – the B-Class Electric Drive – is now available to order.

Split into two model lines – Sport and Electric Art – the B-Class Electric Drive is capable of travelling up to 142 miles on a single charge and can accelerate from rest to 62 mph in 7.9 seconds thanks to its 180 hp and 340 NM of torque generated by an electric motor. Yet it retains all the versatility of the B-Class on which it’s based, including the ability to carry five adults and a 501-litre boot – rising to 1,456-litres if you fold the seats down.

In fact, the B-Class Electric Drive boasts greater versatility and luggage capacity – with the seats both up and down – than any of its direct rivals. It doesn’t just win the space race – it’s got the pace to match. Thanks to Tesla-developed technology, the B-Class Electric Drive is the fastest accelerating five-seat electric car in its class as well as the most powerful and has the greatest theoretical range on a single charge.

Prices for the B-Class Electric Drive start at £31,950 for the Sport model. Subject to approval, an OLEV grant (£5,000) can be applied, bringing the on-the-road price to £26,950. The Electric Art is priced at £32,245 – reduced to £27,245 should the OLEV grant be applied.

The Sport model features a substantial list of standard equipment, including a unique design for the front and rear bumpers, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, a seven-inch central display, Artico trim, automatic climate control, a reversing camera and cruise control. The Sport model is available in a choice of eight paint colours.

The Electric Art model – available in either Cirrus White or South Seas Blue – features contrasting mirrors and radiator grille elements, 18-inch dual colour alloy wheels, automatic climate control, contrast blue stitching for the seats and aluminium trim.

The lithium-ion batteries that power the B-Class Electric Drive are tightly packaged under the floor of the car, meaning the car retains its benchmark cabin room and boot space. Charging via a wall box or public charging station is made easier through a fast charging cable supplied with the car, which takes between three and four hours and brings the battery from a completely empty state to fully charged. A conventional home supply raises the charge time to around nine hours.

Making the very most of the capabilities of the B-Class Electric Drive is the optional Energy Assist Package (£945). The package features adaptive energy recuperation systems to sense – via the forward facing radar – road conditions. When traffic is identified, increased recuperation is employed to make the most of any deceleration. Likewise, it can use signals from the COMAND system (when specified) to read the topography of the road ahead and adapt accordingly. The driver can override the regenerative cycle via the paddles mounted behind the steering wheel to alter the level of retardation – reducing the likelihood of any energy being wasted.

Further measures fitted as part of the Energy Assist Package include privacy glass and a heated windscreen to reduce loading on the air conditioning system, increased insulation around the doors and windows and the addition of a ‘Range Plus’ button for occasional use, adding extra range to the battery capacity than would normally be feasible. Finally, the car will emit a subtle but audible signal at speeds of up to 18 mph to warn pedestrians of the presence of the car.

The B-Class Electric Drive builds on the success of the petrol and diesel models. Since its launch, over 350,000 examples of the B-Class have been sold worldwide and it remains a sustained favourite in the UK.