Smart is bringing back the small electric car that helped define the brand. The new smart #2 is an all-electric two-seater designed specifically for urban driving, combining an ultra-compact footprint with advanced EV technology, a dedicated electric architecture and a strong focus on safety.
The upcoming model was previewed at a technology workshop in Beijing, where smart revealed details about the engineering behind the new #2 ahead of its official world premiere at the Paris Motor Show on October 12.
Measuring less than three meters long, the smart #2 is being developed to deliver the space efficiency and maneuverability expected from a city car while offering the technology and safety systems of a modern electric vehicle.
New Electric Compact Architecture Underpins the Smart #2
The smart #2 is built around a dedicated Electric Compact Architecture (ECA) developed specifically for the brand’s ultra-compact two-seater.
Creating a fully electric vehicle in a package shorter than three meters presents significant engineering challenges. Smart says the ECA platform was designed to combine a compact exterior with a practical cabin, integrated electric powertrain and high structural rigidity.
The platform uses a 35.8-kWh CATL battery, with the smart #2 targeting approximately 300 km of WLTP range. DC fast charging from 10% to 80% is expected to take just 20 minutes.
Another key feature is the platform’s highly integrated 11-in-1 electric drive system, which combines multiple electric-drive, power-electronics and control functions into a compact unit. The approach helps reduce packaging requirements while making better use of the limited space available in the vehicle.
Smart #2 Focuses Heavily on Safety
Despite its tiny dimensions, smart says safety was one of the most important priorities during development of the #2.
The vehicle introduces the Tridion Cell Evo, an evolution of the structural safety concept that has long been associated with smart’s two-seater models. More than 78% of the body structure uses high-strength steel, while a three-layer steel configuration incorporates materials capable of reaching tensile strengths of up to 1,800 MPa.
The body structure has a claimed torsional stiffness of 39,000 Nm/deg and is engineered to withstand a roof load exceeding four tonnes.
Occupant protection is further supported by seven airbags and an advanced seatbelt system featuring Pyrotechnic Lap Pretension (PLP) and Crash Locking Tongue (CLT) technology.
The battery is also protected by a layered structural design intended to provide additional protection around the high-voltage system.
Smart has additionally subjected the #2 to extensive stability and vehicle-dynamics testing. During the Moose Test, the vehicle achieved 78 km/h, while its static rollover angle reached 45.9 degrees.
A Small EV Designed for Tight City Streets
Urban maneuverability is expected to be one of the biggest advantages of the smart #2.
The two-seater has a 6.95-meter curb-to-curb turning diameter, allowing it to make tight turns and navigate narrow streets and restricted parking areas more easily than larger EVs.
The smart #2 is also claimed to be the only vehicle in the sub-three-meter segment equipped with a rear five-link independent suspension. Combined with rear-wheel drive and a 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution, the setup is designed to provide responsive handling while maintaining stability.
Staggered-width tires are standard across the lineup, with narrower tires at the front and wider tires at the rear. This configuration is intended to improve steering precision while providing additional rear-end grip.
Mercedes-Benz Design for a New Smart Icon
The smart #2 retains the distinctive proportions that have defined the brand’s original two-seater. The vehicle features the familiar “wheels-at-the-corners” design, short overhangs and an exceptionally compact body.
The exterior has been designed by the Mercedes-Benz Global Design Team, combining the traditional smart city-car proportions with a modern electric-vehicle identity.
The result is a vehicle designed around a simple formula: keep the footprint extremely small while maximizing the usable cabin space and maintaining the agility expected from a smart two-seater.
Smart #2 World Premiere Coming to Paris
The new smart #2 represents the brand’s return to the two-seat segment that originally made it famous.
After its technology preview in Beijing, the production version is heading to Europe for its official world premiere at the Paris Motor Show on October 12.
With its sub-three-meter dimensions, 35.8-kWh battery, approximately 300 km of targeted WLTP range, fast charging and highly integrated electric powertrain, the smart #2 is being positioned as a new-generation urban EV rather than simply a modernized version of the classic city car.
More details about pricing, final specifications, performance and market availability are expected to be revealed alongside the production model in Paris.
