Without much fanfare, the Smart Electric Drive has received its EPA ratings. Previously written about on the My Electric Car Forums blog, the Smart Electric Drive was at 100 MPGe below the Mitsubishi i-Miev’s 112 MPGe overall rating.

In an email sent out by Mercedes Benz yesterday, the heading says ‘Unguzzle. Uncar. EPA rated at 122 MPGe city.’

The 17.6 kWh electric battery can be charged with a standard household socket, or with a 240-volt charging station which can fully charge the battery pack in about 6 hours. The Smart Electric Drive uses regenerative breaking to recharge the battery pack while slowing down, which helps extend its range to 68 miles per charge – slightly less than the Nissan Leaf rated at 73 miles.

Further down, the email reads that the EPA estimates it to get the equivalent of 122 miles per gallon in the city. Slightly confusing, however, is when it says ‘That’s the best MPGe of any US compact car’ – the Mitsubishi i Miev is rated at 126 MPGe, so the only thing we can think is if it doesn’t qualify as a US compact car, perhaps due to build location or some other stipulation?