1,000 Malaysians makes the smart #1 their EV of choice
The Smart #1 (stylised with a lowercase smart), from the makers of the oh-so-tiny, two-door Smart Fortwo cars that you sometimes see on the roads in Malaysia launched their first EV on the 21st of November in Malaysia and according to its Facebook page, it has received 1,000 bookings so far for the smart #1.
Continuing Smart’s trend of giving exclusively bad names for their cars, the EV is pronounced “smart hashtag one” in conversation. Not “smart number 1” which would carry a more positive connotation.
Besides being an SEO nightmare (we took some time trying to search the correct keywords to find their Facebook page and website), the awkward name has not stood in the way of the car being a booking success.
Smart #1 is being distributed by the Proton subsidiary PRO-NET in Malaysia and was jointly produced by Mercedes-Benz and Geely. PRO-NET was supposed to spearhead the building of public charging networks but it has been a year since that announcement and only one charging station has popped up with one nozel and it can be found at Proton’s HQ in Subang Jaya.
What’s the price of the Smart #1?
Like other EVs the Smart #1 doesn’t come cheap, there are three variants: Pro, Premium, and Brabus that retail for RM189,000, RM219,000 and RM249,000.
The first two variants have a range of 440km while the performance variant, Brabus, can go 400km. To ease Malaysians’ fear of expensive replacement batteries, the Smart #1 comes with extensive warranty:
• 8-Year 200,000km High-Voltage Battery Warranty
• 8-Year 150,000km High-Voltage Component Warranty
• 4-Year Unlimited Mileage Vehicle Warranty
• 2-Year Unlimited Mileage Spare Parts Warranty
• 24/7 Roadside Service Assistance
Now, we’ve shared some articles on our site about EVs, like how Rowan Atkinson says we should rethink EVs and our report on why EV sales are slowing, so our stance isn’t exactly bullish on its future.
At least one influencer has already gotten a hold of his smart #1 and from his brief video, he seems happy with his purchase.
Are you going to get a smart #1 for yourself? Head to https://my.smart.com/ to see if’s your cup of tea.
