Leading by example

The administrative head of the university town opted for a smart – a brand now sold successfully in 37 countries – first and foremost for environmental reasons. With its innovative start/stop function the smart fortwo mhd is particularly economical and consumes just 4.3 litres of fuel over 100 kilometres (CO2 emissions: 103 g/km). It therefore meets the high ecological demands of the committed Green Party politician in the executive seat of the historic town on the river Neckar.

Ecological projects are very important to the 35-year old mayor and this is why he always drives cars that are particularly climate-friendly. Last year at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt he ordered a smart fortwo mhd as his personal business vehicle. To mark the start of a new campaign with which Boris Palmer aims to reduce CO2 emissions in Tübingen by ten percent by 2010, he took delivery of the most economical petrol variant of the compact smart fortwo.

Boris Palmer says "The smart fortwo is the ideal car for towns and cities and the start/stop function now makes it even more environmentally friendly - because why should I pollute the environment when I'm stationary at traffic lights? I look forward to driving my new car." The smart fortwo micro hybrid drive rated at 52 kW/71 bhp features a clever start/stop system that uses the engine's idling phases.

In conjunction with slightly modified gear ratios, this leads to a fuel saving of approximately 8 percent in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). The standard consumption is reduced by 0.4 litres – from 4.7 litres to 4.3 litres per 100 kilometres. There is also a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions from 112 grams to 103 grams per kilometre.

To achieve this, the new smart fortwo micro hybrid drive automatically shuts down the engine whenever it would normally be combusting fuel in idle position. At traffic lights, level crossings or in stop-and-go traffic - as soon as the driver releases the brake pedal the engine starts automatically and the journey can continue immediately. The driver doesn't need to do anything out of the ordinary.

Credits: Jarvis