smart has previewed the cabin and platform details of its upcoming #2 city EV.
The smart Concept #2 made its European premiere in Rome after its global debut in Beijing in April. The car previews the return of smart’s two-seat city car idea, but in fully electric form and with more emphasis on usable space than nostalgia.
The production smart #2 is due to make its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October.
The old fortwo was at its most convincing in crowded cities, and smart is clearly trying to keep that small-car character alive without simply copying the past.
Inside, the Concept #2 uses a continuous bench seat instead of two clearly separated front chairs.
smart said the cabin was styled by the Mercedes-Benz global design team and built around an S-shaped cockpit layout. The brief: make a very small car feel less cramped and more open.
The exterior keeps the usual concept-car neatness, with two-tone paint, frameless doors, short overhangs and clean surfacing.
Some concept-car details may not survive production, but the proportions point strongly towards a city car closer in spirit to the original fortwo than to smart’s larger #1, #3 and #5 models.
The smart #2 will sit on a new ECA platform, short for Electric Compact Architecture. smart said the platform was developed for an ultra-compact electric vehicle, with the battery, drivetrain and body structure packaged to maximise interior space.
smart is targeting a 6.95-metre turning diameter, matching the agility of the last-generation smart two-seater. That should make the #2 useful in tight streets, narrow car parks and older city centres.
The company is targeting a 35.7kWh battery, nearly 300km of WLTP range and DC fast charging from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes. These are still preliminary figures, so final production numbers may change.
smart is also focusing on safety. The ECA platform carries forward the tridion cell idea, updated for a new generation of electric city car.
