Compare Smart #1 with other EVs in Malaysia

The debut of Geely and Mercedes-Clever Benz's #1 (literally pronounced smart hashtag one) has sparked a lot of interest because it will be Proton's first electric vehicle (EV).

Proton Edar, Proton's distribution arm, inked a memorandum of understanding with Smart Automobile Company earlier this year (Smart). Proton will become the official importer, distributor, and dealer of Smart automobiles in Malaysia and Thailand as a result of this agreement.

The announcement comes as the Malaysian government has announced that import duties on electric vehicles would be eliminated for a period of two years.

However, it might be argued that Smart #1 is still too expensive for the ordinary M40 Malaysian to acquire. Smart #1 is projected to cost £35,000 in Europe, which translates to roughly RM200,000 in Malaysia, including after-sales and warranty.

As a result, we thought it'd be fun to compare the cost of a Smart #1 to the cost of cheaper EV options available in Malaysia. This non-exhaustive list focuses on the EVs on the Malaysian market that are most similar to Smart #1.

But first, let's look at what Smart #1 has to offer.

Smart #1 has a rear-wheel-drive electric motor that produces up to 200kW of power and 343Nm of torque, with a top speed of 180km/h.

The battery has a capacity of 66 kWh.

Range: Approximately 420km to 440km, or roughly a one-way trip from KL to Langkawi.

Charging: Using a 22kW AC wall box, charging should take three hours to bring it from zero to 80 percent. The brand's DC fast charger, which produces 150kW, reduces charging time to only 30 minutes.

RM178,241 for the new MINI Cooper SE 3 Door

In 2020, BMW Group Malaysia will release three and five-door versions of its completely electrified MINI Cooper SE series. The three-door model (Cooper SE 3 Door) will be compared for the purposes of this article.

The Cooper SE 3 Door gets its power from a front-mounted electric motor that produces 135kW and 270Nm of torque. In turn, the automobile accelerates from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 7.3 seconds, with a peak speed of 150 kilometers per hour.

The battery has a capacity of 28.9 kWh.

Range: 232 kilometers, which is sufficient for a one-way trip from KL to Taiping, Ipoh.

The Cooper SE takes about two and a half hours to charge using 11kW of AC power and a Type-2 connection. Alternatively, the car can take up to 50kW of DC fast charging, which can charge the battery from 10% to 80% in 36 minutes.

The Cooper SE 3 Door is expected to cost RM178,241 on the road (OTR) without insurance in 2022.

This amount includes a two-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, as well as import and excise duty exemptions from the government's Budget 2022.

The Nissan LEAF is priced at RM181,263 in Malaysia. (You can see other cars' price of Nissan in Malaysia.)

The Nissan LEAF is regarded for being one of the most affordable EVs on the market in Malaysia.

Power and speed: With 148kW of power and 320Nm of torque, it accelerates quickly. Nissan LEAFs can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and reach a peak speed of 144 km/h.

The battery has a capacity of 40 kWh.

Range: With a range of up to 311 kilometers on a single charge, the Nissan LEAF can easily transport you from KL to Georgetown, Penang in one trip.

In Malaysia, the Nissan LEAF costs RM181,263.

In Malaysia, the Nissan LEAF is recognized as one of the most cheap electric vehicles on the market.

It accelerates rapidly thanks to its 148kW of power and 320Nm of torque. Nissan LEAFs can accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 7.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of 144 kilometers per hour.

The battery has a 40-kilowatt-hour capacity.

Range: The Nissan LEAF has a range of up to 311 kilometers on a single charge, allowing you to go from KL to Georgetown, Penang in one trip.