Smart confirms new ‘#1’ name for upcoming electric vehicle
New model has been shown undergoing cold-weather testing.
Smart has announced that its upcoming electric vehicle will arrive with the name ‘#1’.
Due to go on sale towards the end of the year, the new compact SUV has been showcased wearing camouflage while undergoing cold-weather testing in northern China.
Here, it has been subjected to temperatures around -40 degrees celsius. Such low temperatures put a massive strain on the battery, but Smart says that the #1 ‘showed excellent resistance to extreme cold’.
The new model is equipped with an ‘advanced battery temperature control system’ which is able to maintain a constant temperature for the battery regardless of the conditions, while owners will also be able to pre-set their driving schedule in order to automatically preheat the battery.
In addition, the car’s concealed door handles have ‘ice-breaking functions’ which allows them to work as normal even if the car is coated in ice.
Yang Jun, vice president of research and development of Smart Automobile Co., Ltd. said: “Thanks to the seamless cooperation between Smart and the Mercedes-Benz design team, the Smart #1 is a masterpiece of engineering.
“The pre-market test results also prove the outstanding quality, performance and reliability of the Smart #1. With the car due to launch later this year, these developments make us confident that it will be well received by its future customers.”
Smart says that the ‘#’ symbol will be used for a whole family of new electric vehicles. The firm says that it is ‘evocative of trendsetting in the digital era’, too.
