I am considering buying an electric drive Smart car (weights about 2000 pounds). However, the closest dealer is about 170 miles away and the range on the car is about 70 miles. So to get it here I need to spend a couple of days driving it and recharging it on the way or get it towed here. Would my 240D or my E300D be up to the task of towing it either with all four down or preferably using a tow dolly with all four on the dolly? Do any of you tow with your 240D or your E300D and what is your setup?

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Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

The benz can handle it if you have a good hitch. Check with Ngarover, he just offered me one.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Got a friend with a pickup?

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

^^^ LOL

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"I am considering buying an electric drive Smart car."

What happened that made you want to buy a car with a range of 70 miles? You know, you could easily run out of juice before you get to your destination if you get lost.

Sokoloff, your broken glow plug thread here is legendary.

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2009 E320 Bluetec 117,000
1995 E300D 306,000 Sold
1996 Ford Taurus LX 130,000 Sold
1985 300TD Still 225,000 Sold
2016 Ford Fusion 24,900

Only if your destination is a long distance away (50+ miles).

That's not what this car is intended for, and it's obviously not his only vehicle.

I would love an electric car for short trips around town, which by the way make up the vast majority of trips on average in the US. I wouldn't pick a Smart, but that's personal preference.

If you're actually interested, feel free to read this study that highlights NHTS data related to trip distance, common destinations, etc. You'll find that the vast majority of trips made are under 20 miles.

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/jckrumm/Publications%202012/2012-01-0489%20SAE%20published.pdf

I have a commute to work that many people find to be rather extreme at least for my part of the country, and even then it's "only" 60 miles one way.

With any luck someday Tesla or some new company will make a less expensive car that matches the acceleration and handling performance of the Model S but with a sub-100 mile range. I'd pick one up in a heartbeat. Then see about charging it with a solar install at home...

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1979 300D 040 Black on Black - 1985 300D Maaco job (sadly sprayed over 199 Black Pearl Metallic) on Palamino

http://i.imgur.com/LslW733.jpg

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Uberwasser, instead of worrying about limited range, buy two smart cars, install a tow hitch on each one. Tow one to work, then drive the fresh one home. This way you could double your range. If you hitch up three ...

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2009 E320 Bluetec 117,000
1995 E300D 306,000 Sold
1996 Ford Taurus LX 130,000 Sold
1985 300TD Still 225,000 Sold
2016 Ford Fusion 24,900

The Mercedes can easily handle it if you are towing 4-down, or on a tow dolly, provided there are brakes on both. Although you can tow w/o brakes, I would not recommend it - even though I've towed 2,500 pounds over a thousand miles with one of mine in the past.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

There are dedicated, free charging stations located throughout the U.S. Just chart your course using them as way stations.

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'06 E320 CDI
'17 Corvette Stingray Vert

i towed a vw rabbit about 1200 miles once on a dolly pulled by a 240d. probably about the same weight. It did fine, was pretty slow, but once it got up to speed it was decent. trick is the hitch, i had to custom make a 2 inch receiver hitch for my 81 240.
however, i found that uhaul even rented me a dolly with that combo no problem, AND i rented it with the actual cars listed honestly, not the usual uhaul bait and switch scheme.

its definitely doable. check for what grades you are gonna see on the pickup return run. on the flat i was scooting along at 65-70 all day, but crossing the mountains was when the load was really apparent. (i also had 3 grown men as passengers, one of those road trips)

the 240 was a champion though

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Wouldn't that decrease the electric range?

Dkr.

Thanks for the comments on my glow plug thread - not sure if it is legendary bad or legendary good, but the job was legendary to me and one never to be forgotten.

The Smart car is more or less going to be a toy and a curiosity piece. It will only be used around town where nearly all of our trips would be well within the range. My only issue and granted it's a big one is getting it to my garage and getting it to the dealer when service is needed. I'm not at all a lease kind of a guy, but that's what I'd be doing with this car for two reasons. First the battery is covered. Second I'm figuring at the end of the lease there ought to be some major improvements in the battery packs for the cars maybe getting their range up to where the Tesla is now. Oh, and the lease is only $139/month.

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Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

I actually considered that and wondered if it would fit.

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Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

Would I be better off using the 240D or the E300D to do the towing?

__________________
Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles

The problem with that is that there would be a whole lot of down time while I waited for the car to charge. What I thought I could do is drive the Smart as far as the charge would take me and then either tow from there or even spend a night to allow it to charge and go again the next day. I'd get very close to home with two full charges.

My other thought was just to drive it until I run out of charge and use my AAA membership to get towed the rest of the way.

__________________
Len
'59 220S Cabriolet-SOLD and living happily in Malta
'83 240D 351,500 miles original owner-SOLD
'88 560SL 41,000 miles - totaled and parted out
https://sites.google.com/site/mercedesstuff/home
'99 E300 turbo 227,500 miles
'03 SLK320 40,000 miles - gave to my daughter
'14 Smart electric coupe 28,500 miles
'14 Smart electric cabriolet 28,500 miles
'15 Smart electric coupe 28,000 miles