Smart has launched the # 1 electric car: when you can buy the new crossover

Smart unveiled its first production model under the joint ownership of Mercedes-Geely, the # 1 small crossover built in China.

Smart unveiled its first new Mercedes-Geely-owned car, the # 1 all-electric, a small crossover with a range of 440 km and the ability to recharge from 10 to 80% in less than 30 minutes.

# 1, with a length of 4270 mm, is the largest Smart to date, marking a bigger step in size compared to mini-cars such as ForFour and ForTwo, which started with internal combustion engines with rear-wheel drive and have later added fully electric options. It will be built in China; Earlier smartphones were built by Daimler in eastern France and Renault in Slovenia.

Smart showed # 1, pronounced “hashtag one”, at an event in Berlin.

Dirk Adelmann, CEO of Smart Europe, said pre-orders will start in September and mandatory orders will start in December. Production is expected to begin at the end of the year.

Adelmann described # 1 as the “core of all things to come” from Smart. “With the rebranding, we will focus even more on the uninterrupted mobility experience,” he said.

Prices have not been announced, although under Daimler, now Mercedes-Benz Group, the brand has been positioned as a premium city car.

# 1 has a 66 kilowatt-hour battery and a 200 kilowatt electric motor. Smart said that the autonomy figures are preliminary before the WLTP certification expected in the second half of this year, but at 440 km it would have a considerably higher autonomy than the small electric cars currently on the European market.

Adelmann said that this range will move Smart from being just an “urban hero” to a car that can be used for any kind of travel.

Charging time from 10 to 80 percent at a 150 kw high-speed DC station is less than 30 minutes, Smart said, and about three hours with a 22 kw AC power point.

Focused on connectivity

It will compete with several premium electric vehicles, including Honda e, DS 3 Crossback and Mini Electric. Depending on the price, it could also be an alternative to small electric vehicles such as the Peugeot e-2008 and the Opel Mokka-e.

The style and name of the new Smart were anticipated by the Concept # 1 presented in September last year at the Munich Motor Show. The SUV will use Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA). The EV modular platform will also support Geely-owned Volvo Cars and Lynk & CO cars.

Smart focuses on # 1 connectivity with a centralized computer that facilitates air updates. The car manufacturer says that 75 percent of all electronic control units (ECUs) in the car can be continuously updated wirelessly.

Smart says that “a fully integrated physical retail will remain a key factor in the success of the business model”, suggesting that users can also make purchases in the vehicle. Many carmakers, including Mercedes, are hoping to create a new stream of revenue from owners who will pay for additional features and subscriptions.

Other interior features include a 12.8-inch center touch screen with a nine-inch digital instrument panel and 10-inch head-up display, customizable ambient lighting, a “floating” center console, a sliding rear seat, and a Beats audio system with 13 speakers.

Adelmann said Smart is exploring new ownership models, such as subscriptions and sharing, possibly similar to another Geely, Lynk & CO brand, which focuses on subscriptions in Europe.