Big price drop for the electric Smart #1, but watch out for autonomy

Smart unveils a new version of its #1 electric car: the Pro. It costs much less than the Pro+, since there is a price reduction of around 5,000 euros. But be careful, because to achieve its goals, Smart has integrated a much smaller battery, which therefore reduces the autonomy of the Smart #1 Pro.

The Smart #1 has been available for several months in different finishes: Pro+, Premium, Launch Edition, Pulse and BRABUS. All these finishes integrate a battery with a capacity of 66 kWh, allowing the Sino-German manufacturer (from the alliance between Mercedes and Geely) to announce a range of between 400 and 440 km depending on the engine. The starting price, in France, is currently 40,315 euros in the Pro+ version.

5,000 euros less for 130 km of autonomy

Good news: a Pro version has just appeared in Germany, 5,000 euros cheaper than the Pro+ version as we can read in this press release. Which gives, across the Rhine, a starting price of 37,490 euros, since the Pro+ version is sold at 42,490 euros in Germany. We can therefore expect a price of around 35,000 euros in Francewhich would allow the Smart #1 to overshadow its competitors, notably the MG4.

With the ecological bonus of 5,000 euros, we would therefore drop to 30,000 euros. But be careful, because it should no longer be eligible for the new bonus from 2024 because of its manufacture in China. Delivery must therefore be made before March 15, 2024 to be eligible for the bonus.

But this price drop is not insignificant. It is the result of the integration of a new LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery with a lower capacity than the NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese) battery of other finishes. We thus go from 66 to 49 kWh of gross capacity. Which translates, in fact, into a announced autonomy of 310 km on the WLTP mixed approval cycle.

Recharging as fast as ever

The good news is that fast charging is still here, with a 10 to 80% achieved in less than 30 minutes, thanks to a maximum power of 130 kW (compared to 150 kW with the largest battery). The rare long journeys will therefore not be impossible to make, provided you stop regularly at fast charging stations to stock up on electrons.

The Smart #1 Pro uses the engine of its big sister the Premium as we can see in this technical document, with a motor on the rear axle (propulsion) with a power of 200 kW (271 hp) and a torque of 343 Nm. Enough to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 180 km/h.

No unpleasant surprises in terms of equipmentsince the Pro version of the Smart #1 includes everything that can be found in the Pro+ version, including all the driving and parking aids.

Price and availability in France

The new Smart #1 Pro will be available to order from mid-fall, or around the beginning of November. The first European countries served will be Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. We will still have to wait a little before having the detailed price for France which should be around 35,000 euros.