Smart #5 hybrid ‘will not come to Europe’
EV manufacturer Smart has confirmed that it will not be launching a Smart #5 hybrid in Europe.
Recent reports have suggested that the Mercedes/Geely joint venture was planning to add a plug-in hybrid variant to its new flagship model.
However, Smart’s European spokesperson told EV Powered that a petrol/electric model is not planned for Europe.
The firm is believed to be developing a plug-in hybrid option in response to changing consumer demand in Geely’s homeland of China. There, the strong appetite for EVs is now being countered by interest in range extender EVs and long-range plug-in hybrids.
Smart’s spokesperson said that the brand would respond to ‘diverse’ customer demand but the suspected PHEV prototype “is not part of Smart Europe’s inventory and is not part of a Smart Europe development project”.
They told EV Powered: “At Smart Europe, we see individual mobility powered by combustion engines and, in particular, with hybrid drives as a transitional technology towards purely electric driving.
“From 2025 onwards, with the Smart #1, Smart #3 and the new Smart #5 models, Smart will have the largest and broadest portfolio of purely electric vehicles in the company’s young history in Europe.
“A model with other drive technology is not planned for Europe.”
However, they also did not rule out the brand using other powertrains in other markets in future, noting: “The fact that we offer the right mobility solution for every need also means Smart cannot exclude any technological solution for the future at the current point of time and that Smart can come in many forms and sizes.”
The #5 is set to go on sale in Europe and the UK this year as the firm’s pure electric flagship. The SUV will sit about the #1 and #3 and will be the firm’s biggest and most powerful model to date.
Smart hasn’t revealed full technical details yet but has confirmed the #5 will use 800V architecture. It is thought this will support batteries up to 100kWh, which could offer in excess of 400 miles of range and charging in the region of 300kW.
Power outputs are rumoured to range from 335bhp in single-motor versions to 416bhp in two-motor all-wheel-drive guise.
The #5 will also be Smart’s most capable car yet, with multiple off-road drive modes for twin-motor versions, including sand, snow, mud and rock modes, and a host of exterior options including a roof-mounted lightbar, underbody protection and a roof carrier.
