The smart #1 may not be the EV you've been waiting for

KUALA LUMPUR: When the recent Malaysian government announcement for import taxes on electric vehicles was to be removed for a given time of two years, there was a sudden flurry of excitement from electric car manufacturers as well as Malaysian car buyers, especially the wealthy to get an EV in their garage.

With Malaysia having one of the highest import taxes on vehicles, this news also excited middle class Malaysians with the thought of ‘finally’ having a high quality new car (a premium brand) in their garage.

The excitement of middle class Malaysian car buyers was short-lived after they found out that even after the removal of import duties, the selling prices of electric cars were not cheap.

From the factory, electric cars are more expensive over petrol or diesel powered cars because of lithium ion battery costs and also the high research and development costs which are still on-going.

Then in November last year, news broke that local car manufacturer Proton had signed a memorandum of agreement with smart Automobile to import and distribute the all new smart #1 electric crossover.

Proton Edar was to be appointed as the importer, distributor, and also dealer for smart EV’s in Malaysia and also Thailand and smart Automobile (Nanning) Sales Co. Ltd. (a fully owned subsidiary of smart Automobile).

The excitement was short-lived as the indicated price in Europe was £35,000 which means a possible asking price from RM199,000 in Malaysia with after sales and warranty included.

This makes this crossover more expensive than the Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona and soon to arrive 2022 model Renault Zoe.

Yes, the smart #1 is a crossover, but its 4270mm length, 1822mm width and 1636mm height with a 2750 millimeter wheelbase makes it just a little larger than the above mentioned rivals.

Technology wise, it comes with a rear mounted electric motor that produces 272 horsepower and 343Nm of torque.

Its motor is mated to a 66kWh ternary lithium battery operating at 400 volts for a possible 420km to 440km driving range.

The top speed is 180 kilometers per hour. On a standard charger, its battery charging time from 10 percent to 80 percent of battery power takes about 3.5 hours. On a fast charger, max 150kW DC, the charging time is just 30 minutes.

So, when you compare the above information with the much larger and better cabin and feature equipped Hyundai IONIQ 5 Lite which retails for RM199,000, the smart #1 gets less attractive.

The IONIQ 5 Lite is rear wheel drive and comes with a smaller 58 kWh battery pack that returns between 336km and 384km of driving range (about 80-100 km less).

This single-motor variant has an output of 168 horsepower and 350Nm of torque and it has a 0-100km/h time of 8.5 seconds (less powerful and less quick). Charging from zero to 100 percent over 11kW AC takes 5 hours.

However, it must be noted that Hyundai is a Korean brand and smart is a product of Mercedes and Geely and this may persuade Malaysians to look more at the smart #1.

Well, we are still a few months away from its arrival and price confirmation and with our Malaysian currency not doing well, its selling price might move past RM210,000.

The final decision is best made after a test drive of both electric cars and a reflection of your bank balance. 

Also read: All you need to know about the Hyundai Ioniq 5