While production of the Smart ForTwo EQ ended at the beginning of April, Smart does not rule out the possibility of reviving this 2.70 m long micro city car.
The latest electric Smart ForTwos left the French Dambach factory at the beginning of April. The model is no longer sold. Smart – partner of the Geely group since 2022 – is refocusing on its new products: #1 and #3, which are much more profitable. It must be said that the latest generation of the ForTwo EQ has no longer enjoyed the popularity of the beginnings.
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However, Smart would not have completely drawn a line under this atypical model of the automobile market. Rumors have already been heard in recent months about a possible revival of this model. On Automobilwochethis April 19, the boss of Smart in Europe, Dirk Adelmann, confirms that the brand is working on a project called “Project Two”.
A new 2-seater Smart in 2027/2028?
The project is still only a sketch, but Dirk Adelmann is quite confident of the possibilities of such a model in the urban landscape of the European and Chinese markets. The new generation of Smart ForTwo could thus see the light of day in 3 to 4 years, according to the European boss of Smart. The design team is already working on new sketches of a model retaining the same size of 2.70 m long.
Smart has already launched the development of a new electric platform that can correspond to much more compact models than the 4.30 m of the recent Smart #1. The boss of Smart in Europe is well aware that no manufacturer has such a compact electric platform and says that it could also interest other brands. Smart and Geely are not holding back from forming partnerships to make this development profitable. Perhaps Smart-Geely should go knock on Renault. The Mobilize Duo project no longer seems to be progressing much. There are certainly possible synergies to unlock the project.
Going beyond the limits of the previous model
There is no doubt that Geely's industrial know-how can help Smart create a vehicle that will be much cheaper to produce than the old version, which swallowed up crazy amounts of money. The manufacturing cost is not the only element that Smart will have to work on to successfully relaunch an appeal to European customers.
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It is difficult in the current market to succeed in persuading buyers to acquire a micro-city car at a price higher than that of more conventional electric cars. It is therefore unthinkable to imagine displaying a new Smart ForTwo in 2027 or 2028 for more than €30,000. Smart will have to find the right recipe and the right price positioning, which will be a test for Europe and for China.
This also gives Smart time to find a solution to one of the main obstacles to purchasing its ForTwo EQ: its autonomy. Paying a lot for a small vehicle is only conceivable if it provides a real advantage in use. But with a range of barely more than 100 km, it is difficult to convince customers. Even some heavy quadricycles like the Microlino are able to offer more for less.
Finally, the ideal for the brand would be to be able to manufacture this model in partnership with a European manufacturer so as not to have to ship the vehicles from China, but this probably promises to be complicated. This will no longer be possible at the Dambach factory, which has switched to the production of Ineos. There is still work for Smart teams.