I’ve never been a fan of the Smart car, not least because it doesn’t like to be spelt with a capital S. I’ve been a snob about its short, stubby shape for a decade but I’ve just turned 180 degrees and am sold on this electric version – though just this version, I hasten to add.

At long last it’s okay to be seen driving a car that’s attached to a plug, and it’s so of-the-moment that it turns you a pleasant shade of green.

It makes perfect sense if you live in a town peppered with electric recharging posts and if you favour Prada over passengers (it’s got as much room inside as a tumble dryer).

Nobody in or out of the car would suspect that it lacks an internal combustion engine as you hoof it away from the lights, and up to 30mph it doesn’t let the side down.

Neither does its pixie-like handling, which allows you to buzz around buses and bypass bicycles with more dexterity than the petrol-powered Smart.

This is thanks, in part, to slimmer-than-usual tyres that make the steering lighter so that parking is even more idiot-proof too. Being the runt of the Mercedes-Benz family, its parking possibilities are huge – my neighbours have plonked a pair of Smarts in a single car space with room to spare.

The only disadvantages I can see are that you’ll never escape traffic jams, you’ll need military planning to ensure you’re not too far from a power source, and if you stray onto a motorway then the slightest of breezes will feel like a hurricane.

Vital statistics

Model Smart Fortwo ED
Motor type Zytek permanent-magnet DC brushless
Power / torque 75bhp / 89lb ft
Transmission Single-speed automatic
CO2 Equivalent of 60g/km approx
Performance 0-31mph: 6.5sec / top speed: 74mph
Range / mpg equivalent 71 miles / 300mpg approx
Recharge time 8 hours
Road tax Exempt
Price From £12,000 approx (to be confirmed)
Verdict An innovation, but needs a recharge network
Date of release Approx 2010