Smart #2 electric two-seater detailed ahead of Paris premiere with 35.8 kWh battery and up to 290 km WLTP range

Confirmed battery, range and charging ahead of Paris

Smart has disclosed key technical specifications of its new #2 electric city car ahead of the model's world premiere at the Paris Motor Show on October 12. As reported by EV Central, the German brand confirmed the battery's capacity using CATL cells at 35.8 kWh, a figure EV Central's sister coverage in the aggregated TechNode report matches, along with a targeted range of about 300 km on the WLTP cycle. French outlet Turbo.fr, which broke out the detailed figures on September 29, reports the WLTP range as 290 km, with Smart targeting about 300 km in its own communications. The 35.8 kWh pack is larger than those fitted to the larger Renault Twingo electric, Nissan Pixo and Dacia Spring, Turbo.fr notes. ¹⁵

Charging capability has also been quantified. Turbo.fr reports peak DC charging of 65 kW, which in the best conditions should allow a 10 to 80 per cent charge in less than 20 minutes, and suggests fast charging is likely to be standard across the range given the brand's traditionally higher pricing position. TechNode's summary of Smart's Beijing engineering workshop on September 28 likewise records the 35.8 kWh CATL battery and a sub-20-minute 10 to 80 per cent DC fast-charge claim, alongside an integrated 11-in-1 electric drive unit. Note that some earlier reporting, including Man of Many and earlier CarExpert coverage, cited a 35.7 kWh figure; the most recent disclosures put it at 35.8 kWh. ¹⁵

Platform and engineering details from Smart's Beijing workshop

According to TechNode's report of the September 28 Beijing workshop, the #2 is a two-seat car built on a purpose-designed Electric Compact Architecture for vehicles under three metres long. The platform houses the 35.8 kWh CATL battery and the integrated 11-in-1 electric drive. Turbo.fr adds engineering details it attributes to Smart: an independent five-link rear suspension intended to secure agility and comfort, different-sized front and rear tyres for stability, a promised 50:50 mass distribution, a robust structure and rear-wheel drive. ⁵¹

Power output has not been confirmed by Smart. Turbo.fr reports that, based on the information available at this stage, the output should be around 80 hp (roughly 60 kW), a figure consistent with the 60 kW rear-mounted motor listed in Chinese regulatory filings reported by CarExpert and by OK.com. CarExpert, citing CnEVPost and Car News China, says the filing lists a lithium iron phosphate CATL battery, a 1130 kg kerb weight and a 140 km/h top speed, though the filing itself does not state battery capacity. ¹⁴³

Dimensions and design, with a Tridion question mark

Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology certification filings, reported by CarExpert via CnEVPost and Car News China, show the #2 measuring 2751 mm or 2764 mm long depending on variant bumpers, 1669 mm wide, 1555 mm tall, on a 1875 mm wheelbase. That makes the new car around 60 mm longer than the third-generation Fortwo (2695 mm), which ceased production in 2024, and the smallest car Smart has developed since Geely took its 50 per cent stake in 2020. The filing lists 15-inch wheels with 165/65 or 185/60 tyres, or 16-inch rims with 185/50 or 205/45 rubber. ⁴³

The safety-cell story differs between sources. CarExpert noted that the steel Tridion safety cell, typically marked by a contrasting-colour arc, seemed missing from the regulatory-filing car, which can be specified with black, champagne or colour-coded roofs, plus Louis Vuitton-style grille inserts and fluted champagne sill and bumper extensions. However, reporting of Smart's recent disclosures, aggregated by Ground News alongside forococheselectricos, describes Smart presenting a redeveloped Tridion Cell Evo safety cell that will protect occupants. Man of Many likewise describes a new high-strength-steel tridion safety cell dispersing impact forces around the cabin and the floor-mounted battery. The exact design resolution should become clear at the Paris premiere. ⁴⁵²³

Man of Many, an Australian outlet, reports further claimed specifications: a 6.95-metre curb-to-curb turning circle matching the previous-generation Fortwo, Vehicle-to-Load hardware for powering external devices, a continuous bench seat replacing separate front seats, and an S-curved dashboard architecture to maximise knee clearance. Man of Many also details Smart's global validation program for the #2, supervised by Global CTO Yang Jun and Smart Europe CEO Wolfgang Ufer, covering chassis tuning, NVH refinement and durability testing over potholes and kerb strikes. These remain manufacturer-attributed details pending official confirmation. ²

Launch timing, pricing and the Australian question

The #2 makes its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show on October 12, the press opening day of the Mondial de l'Auto, with commercialisation theoretically planned for 2027, according to Turbo.fr. OK.com's coverage of the Chinese filings says deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2027 and that European pricing is expected to start below €22,500, with EU countervailing tariffs on Chinese-built EVs potentially pushing the price higher. Right-hand-drive production is planned for the UK, which OK.com notes would clear the main hurdle for markets such as Australia and New Zealand. ¹³

Australian availability is not yet confirmed. CarExpert reports that the #2's global street-art teaser campaign, part of a 'Change of Perspectives' initiative also covered by Man of Many, included a mural in the Melbourne CBD painted by artist Georgia Laurie, alongside works in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Berlin and Paris, which both outlets read as a hint at a local launch. Although the car has yet to be confirmed for Australia, CarExpert quotes a Smart Australia spokesperson saying 'further information regarding Smart #2 market availability will be shared at the appropriate time'. ⁴²

Historical context: a Fortwo successor with far more range

The #2 revives Smart's two-seater formula after the Fortwo's discontinuation. CarExpert notes the third-generation Fortwo ceased production in 2024, and that the electric Fortwo EQ managed only a 135 km WLTP rating with a 17.6 kWh battery; the regulatory filings list the #2 at 1130 kg, some 40 kg lighter than the Fortwo EQ despite roughly double the battery capacity. OK.com describes the claimed 300 km figure as roughly triple the real-world range of the last electric Fortwo. All post-2020 Smart models launched under the Geely and Mercedes-Benz joint venture have been 4.2 metres or longer, making the #2 the brand's first small city car of that era, built in China and exported globally since the former Hambach, France plant now belongs to Ineos. ⁴³