The Smart EQ Forfour was an electric variant of the long wheelbase four-door second generation Smart Forfour city car Type 453 which shared approximately 70% of its parts with the third-generation Renault Twingo, both built by Renault in Slovenia.

Field testing of the electric Smart Fortwo 450 began in London with 100 units in 2007, leasing only due to the cumbersome molten salt ZEBRA battery.

[1][2][3][4] A near production version of the third-generation Smart ED, using the face lift 451 body and drive train plus complete LiIon battery built by Daimler joint ventures, was unveiled at the September 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

[13] The second generation, Smart ED2, was introduced in 2009 to 18 markets with the objective to gather experience about how customers use and charge electric vehicles.

Daimler initially planned to build 1,000 vehicles, but as demand exceeded the company's expectations, more than 2,000 Smart Fortwo electric drive cars were produced.

[1][14][15][16] Production of the second-generation Smart Fortwo electric drive began in November 2009 in Smartville, Hambach, France.

[20][21] As part of a three-phase roll-out program, phase two began with field testing in Berlin in December 2009 with 100 units out of 300 that will be deployed in Germany.

[22][23] For phase two 1,500 cars were produced, and field tested in Hamburg, Paris, Rome, Milan, Pisa, London, the English Midlands, Madrid, Zurich, Portugal, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands during the first half of 2010.

[1][2] In July 2011 an agreement was reached between Daimler AG and Robert Bosch GmbH to develop and produce innovative traction motors for electric vehicles.

Based on this joint venture, Daimler planned to use the improved traction motors with the third generation of Smart electric drive cars scheduled to go on sale in 2012.

[20] The limited fleet of second-generation Smart Fortwo electric drive cars was introduced first in Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles, San Jose, California, Orlando, Florida, Austin, Detroit, Indianapolis and the Interstate 95 corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston, including New Jersey and New York.

[20][23] In July 2011, Car2Go announced the deployment of a fleet of Smart EDs into carsharing service in San Diego before the end of 2011.

The company stated that the carsharing electric cars will have a range of 84 miles (135 km), and, based on their experience with usage in other cities, they will most likely need to be recharged every two or three days.

[14][15] As of December 2012[update], a total of 527 Smart EDs were registered in the US since January 2011, including 300 units deployed for Car2Go in San Diego.

[31] According to Forbes, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy ranked the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive the "greenest" car for 2014.

[5] Key differences with the second-generation model include a more powerful electric motor with improved acceleration and top speed; a new lithium-ion battery pack, which increased the range to 140 kilometres (87 mi) with a quick-charge option; other new features include an enlarged grille opening, LED daytime running lights, wider door sills, some minor modifications to the rear, fully automatic air conditioning with pollen filter and pre-air conditioning.

It included bright white body colour, chrome-plated tridion cell, a wing made of transparent fibreglass and decorated with rocket-shaped elements that light up red, wider rear tyres and wider rear wheel arches, wheel rims are shaped like aeroplane propellers, bright chromium-plated "eyebrows" above its front headlights, chromium-plated top half of the mirror caps and the frame around the radiator grille, fine white nappa leather upholstery at instrument panel, seats and door trim; diamond stitching at seat insert areas and the centre panels in the doors, bright chromium-plated side air inlets.

[citation needed] The vehicle was unveiled on the eve of the LA Auto Show at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles, with music provided by the artist M.I.A.