Just over nine weeks before its official premiere at the Paris Motor Show, the new Smart #2 has been exposed by Chinese regulatory filings.
The virtually undisguised production car appears six weeks after Smart Europe CEO Wolfgang Ufer told Newmobility.news that it would initially be built in China, but European production will definitely be discussed. The documents now reveal its first definitive technical specifications.
The two-seat electric city car has appeared in the latest catalog of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or MIIT, a mandatory step before a new vehicle can go on sale in China.
Close to the old electric Fortwo
The filing confirms that Geely’s Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile Manufacturing will build the car. It also reveals dimensions, weight, motor output, battery chemistry, and suppliers that Smart itself had so far kept under wraps.
Production #2 will measure either 2.751 or 2.764 meters long, depending on the exterior configuration. It is 1.669 meters wide and 1.555 meters high, with a wheelbase of 1.875 meters. Curb weight is listed at 1,130 kg.
That makes the newcomer remarkably close to the old electric Fortwo it replaces. The previous Smart EQ Fortwo measured 2.695 meters long, 1.663 meters wide, and 1.555 meters high, with a 1.873-meter wheelbase.
In other words, the new car is only about 6 centimeters longer and 6 millimeters wider, while its wheelbase has grown by just 2 millimeters.
Smaller than the concept
Interestingly, the production car is also slightly shorter than Smart had suggested. The Concept #2 presented in Beijing in April measured 2.792 meters.
Smart described it at the time as a close preview of its new purpose-built city car, with the wheels pushed toward the corners and a turning circle of just 6.95 meters.
The two lengths listed on the Chinese paperwork appear to correspond to different bumper or trim configurations, even though the wheelbase remains the same. The filing shows several alternative front grilles, wheels, and exterior details, together with black or body-coloured roofs.
Underneath, the #2 receives a 60 kW electric motor supplied by Geely-controlled InfiMotion, driving the rear wheels. That corresponds to roughly 82 hp, intriguingly exactly the same maximum output as the previous EQ Fortwo. Top speed rises from 130 to 140 km/h.
Smart, therefore, appears to have resisted the temptation to turn its smallest model into another performance-oriented EV. Instead, the major leap comes from the battery.
Twice the battery
The MIIT filing confirms lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery chemistry, with cells supplied by CATL and the complete pack assembled by Geely’s Energee. It does not state the capacity or expected range.
Smart itself revealed in June that the new Electric Compact Architecture, developed specifically for the #2, is designed around a 35.7 kWh battery.
The company targets approximately 300 kilometers of WLTP range and DC charging from 10 to 80 percent in less than 20 minutes, although those figures have not yet been homologated.
That target battery capacity is roughly double the 17.6 kWh gross capacity of the outgoing EQ Fortwo, which was rated at only 131 km WLTP. The new #2 should consequently offer much more usability outside city centers without becoming significantly larger.
The dedicated ECA platform also retains a 6.95-meter turning circle and uses Smart’s next-generation interpretation of the Tridion safety cell. Smart showed the interior concept in Rome in June, featuring a continuous bench-style front seat and an S-shaped dashboard designed to maximize interior space within the tiny footprint.
China first, Europe later?
The Chinese filing also fits precisely with what Smart Europe CEO Wolfgang Ufer told Newmobility.news at the end of June. “We start with global production coming from China,” he said, while stressing that Europe is the key market for the car.
Ufer also left the door open for production closer to European customers if sales justify it. “If we succeed and build volume, we will definitely discuss European production.”
The EU’s additional import tariffs on Chinese-built EVs are already included in Smart’s calculations. Ufer said the company is aiming for a European starting price below €22,500.
There is currently no indication that Europe will receive a fundamentally different #2. The same basic body, rear-wheel-drive ECA platform, and battery architecture are expected. However, specifications shown in a Chinese homologation filing do not automatically equal the final European configuration.
European versions will have to comply with EU safety and driver-assistance requirements, while charging hardware, software, lighting, and equipment packages may differ.
Smart is also still conducting global pre-production testing, including final work on the chassis, steering, suspension, tires, refinement, and safety.
The final gaps should be filled soon. Smart will officially unveil production #2 at the Paris Motor Show in October, ahead of its European market launch.
