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smart #2 Enters Production as China Deliveries Near

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Red 2026 smart #2 electric two-seater parked on a city street beside a glass building

smart has moved its new electric two-seater from its October unveiling into production and a formal market launch. The company introduced the smart #2 Premium in Guangzhou on November 5, said series production is underway, and expects the first Chinese customer deliveries in the coming weeks. European deliveries are planned for 2027.

That is the practical change since the car’s Paris Motor Show debut, which Chiefs Review covered in October: the #2 is no longer only a revealed production model with a rollout still to come. It now has a production start and a delivery window for its first market. smart has not announced U.S. availability, and its November 6 release did not include market-specific prices.

China first, Europe in 2027

China will receive the first customer cars. smart says specifications for that market will be confirmed locally, so figures published for the European version should not be treated as final China-market data. European customers are due to receive cars in 2027, with pricing, equipment and exact availability to be announced country by country.

The company also says the limited Couture Edition has sold out in China and in every European market where it has been offered so far. That is a manufacturer-reported sales claim; smart did not publish an order total in the launch announcement. The earlier Paris release said the edition was limited to 999 units for Europe and 999 for China.

A purpose-built small-EV platform

The #2 uses smart’s new Electric Compact Architecture rather than a shortened version of a larger-vehicle platform. It keeps the brand’s familiar two-seat layout and rear-wheel-drive format, with a rear-mounted motor and a five-link rear suspension. The body is built around what smart calls the Tridion Cell Evo, the latest version of the protective passenger-cell concept associated with earlier smart models.

For the European model, smart lists a 35.8-kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery and a preliminary combined WLTP target of 290 kilometers, or about 180 miles. The company’s Paris specifications put output at 60 kW and 130 Nm, with DC charging at up to 65 kW. Under smart’s stated optimal conditions, a 10-to-80-percent DC charge takes 20 minutes. AC capability varies by trim: most European versions support up to 11 kW, while the Pure uses a 7.4-kW single-phase onboard charger.

Those European figures remain subject to final homologation. Actual range and charging time will also depend on temperature, charger output and other conditions. Buyers comparing small EVs should therefore wait for the certified local specification rather than treating the target as a final rating. For a recent example of how onboard charging hardware can change day-to-day use, see our report on the Opel Grandland Electric’s 22-kW AC option.

Built around city dimensions

The European #2 measures 2,746 mm long in its regular trims, while the Couture Edition is 2,764 mm. smart quotes a 6.95-meter curb-to-curb turning circle, a number that matters more in tight streets and garages than outright acceleration. Inside, the car uses a bench-style two-seat arrangement and an S-shaped dashboard. A two-piece tailgate lets the upper glass open separately; the lower section folds down and, when parked, is rated by smart to support up to 120 kg.

The November launch closes one uncertainty—the car is being manufactured and its first deliveries are near—but leaves several buying questions open. China-market specifications, European prices, final homologated range and country-by-country delivery timing are still to come. Until smart publishes those details, the strongest confirmed news is the transition from motor-show debut to an active production and launch program.

Sources

Featured image: a production 2026 smart #2 Premium photographed in a city setting. Photo © smart Automobile; official press-room image supplied with the November 6 release and used for editorial reporting. Image source and release. The image is presented as supplied.