Smart Is Bringing Back Its Tiny City Car As An EV

• The Smart #2 is a planned two-seat minicar, to be introduced in 2026. 
• It is designed by Mercedes-Benz, but will be made in China.
• It will be available in China and Europe, plus some unspecified “global markets.” 

Smart started out as a cheap minicar brand thought up by the watch company Swatch. When it was sold mostly to China’s Geely (with Mercedes-Benz retaining a stake), it morphed into a premium brand that seems to have lost its way more than some say Mini has. Its minicar roots are gone, replaced with not-so-small hatchbacks and crossovers sold for a not-so-cheap price.

Things are about to change, though. On Tuesday, Smart announced that it’s trying its hand at the minicar segment again.

The forthcoming two-seat car will be called the #2 and will be built on an entirely new vehicle platform different from the existing #1, #3, and #5. Tong Xiangbei, global CEO of Smart, said it is much harder to develop a new model and architecture for a small car than it is to make a larger one. Smart says this model architecture was developed specifically for ultra-compact minicars.

Smart #2

Photo by: smart

Other than that, we don’t know too much more about the forthcoming #2. The preview images show a parking space markedly shorter than its existing models, with the text “reserved for #2”. A silhouette of the #2 suggests it’ll be roughly the same shape and size as previous Smart city cars, so it should deliver the same legendary parkability as those earlier models. Smart says the vehicle is in its final design and testing phases and will launch in late 2026.

Of course, this isn’t the first electric Smart; the Smart Electric Drive was introduced in 2007 (2011 for the U.S.). Smart also became an electric-only brand in the U.S. before it left our market entirely in 2019. Under its new Chinese ownership, it specializes in EVs, with three on sale today. Unfortunately, that short wheelbase limits the amount of battery that the car can take. The final generation Smart ED only had a 16.5 kWh battery, good for up to 58 miles of range on the EPA cycle.

Will this come to the U.S? It’s not likely. The old Smart sold pretty dismally. However, Smart says this model will make it to both Europe and China, along with some other “global markets.” If you’re in Europe and looking to get your two-door, two-seat EV fix, then stay tuned. Smart’s returning to its roots late next year.

Contact the author: Kevin.Williams@insideevs.com