China called '50 years ahead' as automaker partners with Mercedes to create new EV model with monstrous performance
Published on Aug 21, 2025 at 4:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Aug 21, 2025 at 11:32 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
China has been called ’50 years ahead’ of the curve as automaker Smart has partnered with Mercedes to create a new EV model with monstrous performance.
Smart #5 is the latest vehicle to come from the Smart brand, which is backed by Mercedes-Benz and Chinese EV company, Geely.
This plug-in hybrid contains a 1.5-liter turbo engine and a lithium iron phosphate battery.
It’s capable of recharging in just 15 minutes and has a total range of 995 miles – no wonder people are getting hyped up.
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This Chinese automaker has teamed up with Mercedes to create a new EV
The Smart #5 offers up 155 miles of pure electric range, but is capable of 1,000 miles in total.
The estimated real-world range (how much on a single charge in real-world conditions) is estimated to be around 250 miles.
With a 1.5-liter turbo engine producing 161 horsepower and a lithium iron phosphate battery working in sync, this SUV shows a lot of promise.
People online certainly seemed excited, if the comments on articles about the car are anything to go off.
“China is 50 years ahead,” one person commented, whilst another declared it ‘stunning’.
Although people are excited, the brand has something of an uphill struggle in an increasingly competitive market.
In 2024, Smart sold 33,427 vehicles in the Chinese market, which represented a 19.37 percent decline from the previous year.
It’s some way below the Mercedes-backed brand’s target of 50,000.
Still, the brand powers on, with models being released across European markets too.
Is China really ’50 years ahead’?
It’s easy to see why some people think of China as being light-years ahead of the rest of us.
Especially when it comes to cars and EVs in particular.
Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, recently said that his company would have no future if it couldn’t compete with China’s EV output.
It’s easy to see where his assessment has come from.
Brands like BYD are now out-selling Tesla in both Europe and the United Kingdom.
Xiaomi, another brand name-dropped by Farley, has created such demand that its YU7 secured nearly a quarter of a million orders in the first 18 hours of being announced.
Will the Smart #5 soon become as popular? Only time will tell.
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