Smart is going back to what made it famous—or infamous, depending on who you ask. The brand has confirmed it’s working on a new two-seat city car, fully electric this time, slated to arrive at the end of 2026. Its name? The Smart #2, a nod to the company’s numerical naming strategy and, more importantly, a spiritual successor to the original ForTwo that debuted back in 1998.

That first ForTwo promised to change how we think about urban mobility. It didn’t, of course. But the car was quirky, undeniably cool, and made parallel parking in Europe’s oldest cities a game rather than a chore. Smart even experimented with an EV version as early as 2007, eventually putting it into series production in 2011. The problem: the thing was terrible. Even in later iterations, the electric ForTwo topped out at a meager 130 kilometers of range—fine for a quick grocery run, but laughable in a world of Teslas and Hyundais.

The new #2 has to do better. It joins Smart’s growing lineup, which already includes the #1 crossover, the #3 coupe/crossover, and the upcoming #5 SUV. Unlike the early-2000s Smart, the brand now has access to far better battery technology, courtesy of its joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Geely. That means the #2 should finally pair tiny-car maneuverability with a range figure that doesn’t trigger instant range anxiety.

Dirk Adelman, Smart Europe’s chief, is framing this as nothing less than a rebirth: “The confirmation of our ‘project: two’ and the upcoming launch of Smart #2 marks a turning point for the Smart brand globally. Smart #2 will shape a new era of individual urban automotive mobility, especially in classic ‘Smart cities’ such as Rome, London or Paris.”

That’s a bold promise. But if Smart can deliver a chic, reasonably priced, and actually usable EV for the world’s densest metropolises, the #2 might finally fulfill the mission the original ForTwo couldn’t.

Source: Smart