Smart #2 range and specifications: 290 km WLTP, 35.8 kWh battery and rear-wheel drive
Smart #2 is targeting 290 km of WLTP range from a 35.8 kWh battery. The sub-three-metre EV also gets rear-wheel drive, 50:50 weight distribution and a 6.95 m turning circle.
Smart #2 now comes with two very different range figures. Chinese documents list 410 km on the CLTC cycle, while the latest European release from the manufacturer gives a target of 290 km WLTP. Battery capacity is listed at 35.8 kWh in both cases. There is no contradiction: the test procedures are different, which is why the Chinese figure cannot simply be carried over to European specifications.
There is another caveat: 290 km is not yet the final certified figure. The Smart #2 is undergoing European homologation, and the manufacturer describes this range as a target. In summer, the guidance was less precise at “around 300 km” with a 35.7 kWh battery. The company has now refined the capacity to 35.8 kWh and named 290 km. Fast charging from 10 to 80% should take less than 20 minutes under optimal conditions at a 65 kW DC charger.
The more unusual set of numbers, however, concerns the structure rather than the battery. More than 78% of the body structure with the new Tridion Cell Evo is made from high-strength steel, some materials reach tensile strength of up to 1800 MPa, and body torsional rigidity is 39,000 Nm/degree. Smart says the structure can withstand more than four tonnes of roof load. Seven airbags are fitted in the cabin.
The layout also stays very close to the original fortwo idea: a body under three metres long, rear-wheel drive, 50:50 weight distribution and a turning circle of just 6.95 m. At the rear is an independent five-link suspension that Smart calls unique in this class. Earlier Chinese certification had already revealed a 60 kW rear motor, about 82 hp and a top speed of 140 km/h.
It will make sense to put the full Smart #2 specification together after October 12, when the production car makes its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show. Until homologation is complete, the 290 km figure is best treated as the new European target rather than a final certified result.