2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe: MPG and fuel economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.

Fuel economy at a glance

These are the EPA's official ratings for the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.

Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).

How the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe compares

The 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe returns 108 combined MPG. Cars in the Two Seaters class for the same model year average 21.4 MPG, which puts this car ahead of the class average by about 405%.

Within the Two Seaters class for the 2018 model year, the smart fortwo electric drive coupe is the leader. No other car in the same class beat its 108 MPG rating. The bar chart below shows it alongside the class average and the average new car for some additional context.

For broader context, the average new car of the 2018 model year (across all classes) returns 25.6 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 2018 model year is on its own page.

Annual fuel cost across driving patterns

The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for electricity, which is $0.15/kilowatt-hour. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.

The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPGe and the reference electricity price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. Charging at home rather than at a public DC fast charger usually lowers the real cost below the EPA's published figure.

Year-over-year MPG for the smart fortwo electric drive coupe

The EPA has rated the smart fortwo electric drive coupe across 7 model years, from 2011 smart fortwo electric drive coupe through 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.

The 2011 smart fortwo electric drive coupe returned 87 MPG. The most recent 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe returns 108 MPG. That is an improvement of 21 MPG over 7 model years, the kind of gain that usually comes from smaller engines, hybrid systems, or aerodynamic redesigns.

Compare against other Two Seaters for 2018

If you are cross-shopping the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Two Seaters class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.

Specifications

The 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe is a fully electric vehicle. It is powered by 60 kw ac synchronous. The EPA rates its driving range at 58 miles.

Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.

Vehicle class

Two Seaters

Transmission

Automatic (A1)

Drivetrain

Rear-Wheel Drive

Fuel type

Electricity

Electric motor

60 KW AC Synchronous

EV range

58 miles

Annual petroleum use

0.1 barrels per year

Common questions about the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe.

• Is the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe fuel efficient?

  Yes. The 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe returns 108 combined MPG, which beats the average car in the Two Seaters class for the same model year by about 405%.
• What MPG does the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe get?

  The EPA rates the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe at 108 combined MPG, 124 MPG in city driving, and 94 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is.
• How much does it cost to fuel a 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe per year?

  The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $700 for the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade.
• Does the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe use gasoline?

  No. The 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe is fully electric and runs on grid electricity. The MPGe figure on this page converts electricity use into a gasoline-equivalent so you can compare it directly to a regular car.
• Has the smart fortwo electric drive coupe become more fuel efficient over time?

  Yes. The first EPA-rated smart fortwo electric drive coupe, the 2011 smart fortwo electric drive coupe, returned 87 combined MPG. The most recent 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe returns 108 MPG, an improvement of 21 MPG over the run.
• How much CO₂ does the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe emit?

  The 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe produces zero tailpipe emissions because it runs entirely on electricity. The full carbon footprint of charging it depends on how the electricity on your local grid is generated, which varies a lot from one state to another.
• What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe?

  City driving returns 124 MPG and highway driving returns 94 MPG. A flat (or city-better) split is the signature of a hybrid or electric drivetrain, where regenerative braking recovers energy that would otherwise be lost in stop-start city traffic.
• What motor does the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe use?

  The 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe uses 60 KW AC Synchronous. Electric motors do not have a displacement or cylinder count the way a combustion engine does, so EPA reporting focuses on the motor type and battery system instead.
• What transmission and drivetrain does the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe have?

  The 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe comes with a automatic (a1) transmission and rear-wheel drive.
• Is the 2018 smart fortwo electric drive coupe the most efficient car in its class?

  Yes. Among cars in the Two Seaters class for the 2018 model year, the smart fortwo electric drive coupe returns the highest combined MPG at 108 MPG. No other car in the same class beats that figure.

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.