Smart has revealed its first new car under joint Mercedes-Geely ownership, the full-electric #1, a small crossover with a range of 440 km (270 miles) and the ability to recharge from 10 to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes.
The #1, at 4270 mm long, is the largest Smart yet, marking a step up in size from minicars such as the ForFour and ForTwo, which started with rear-drive internal combustion engines and later added full-electric options. It will be built in China; previous Smarts were built by Daimler in eastern France and by Renault in Slovenia.
Smart showed the #1 – pronounced “hashtag one” -- on Thursday at an event in Berlin.
Dirk Adelmann, the CEO of Smart Europe, said pre-orders would start in September, with binding orders beginning in December. Production is expected to start at the end of the year.