The 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is just days away and more automakers are teasing what they’re going to be revealing at the event. Getting in on the action, smart released photos of and information about an electric concept they’ll be unveiling in Germany next week.
The fourjoy is a compact design study that’s all electric. It’s powered by a 55 kW motor that supposedly makes it “agile and lively to drive.” A 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides the juice and can be fully charged in about seven hours from a standard household socket, though it’s unclear whether this is on European or American electrical standards. In the old world they generally they run twice the voltage that we do in ‘Murica.
The battery can be fully replenished from high-powered municipal chargers in just one hour.
Like a transport ship dumping zebra muscle-tainted water in the Great Lakes smart’s fourjoy “dispenses with unnecessary ballast.” The car has an open roof, no doors, no rear window and probably no chance of making it into production. But still the open-air design is pretty neat.
SEE ALSO: AutoGuide’s 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show Coverage
Inside the car has lounge-like seating and a flowing, almost organic looking dashboard and center console.
Like the current production smart car this one features short overhangs, integrated tail lamps and wheels pushed out to the corners. But there is a major way in which it differs. The brand’s signature “Tridion” safety cell is crafted of aluminum. It’s been polished to a blinding luster and made an integral part of the vehicle’s design. A pair of electrically-driven skateboards mount to the roof.
It seems unlikely the smart fourjoy will ever find its way to dealerships, but this city-sized concept car is probably a strong hint as to what the next-generation smart will look like.
GALLERY: Smart FourJoy Concept
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