Smart has appointed Wolfgang Ufer, head of the brand in Germany, as CEO of its European operations. He replaces Dirk Adelmann who, as CEO since 2020, was responsible for the brand’s rebirth with a range of large electric cars – the #1, #3 and #5. Those models found some early success but, following the EU's decision to apply tariffs to Chinese-built EVs, sales slumped. According to figures from analyst Dataforce, Smart registered 13,100 new cars in Europe last year, down 47% compared with 2024. The brand’s struggle to build sales is not solely a result of the tariffs, however. In the UK, which doesn't apply the same levy, Smart’s sales were down by 10.7% in 2025 to 1770 cars. Adelmann has been named as the new head of Smart parent company Mercedes-Benz in Switzerland. Ufer, who will take charge of the brand in March, will be responsible for reversing the slump while also launching the #2, an electric city car on the spirit of the foundational Fortwo. Smart said the #2 will “play an important role” in repositioning the Smart brand in Europe, with the potential to “unlock additional volume”. At its peak, the Fortwo attracted some 100,000 sales per year in Europe – but that was through the early 2000s, when it was offered with a combustion engine. It remains to be seen whether an EV will carry the same appeal. Another tactic that Ufer could try to grow sales would be to import the plug-in-hybrid models that Smart sells exclusively in China. PHEVs aren't covered by the EU’s tariffs, so these could be more competitive than the brand’s EVs. As previously reported by Autocar, Smart China insiders have suggested that the new #6, a PHEV saloon, could be brought to Europe to boost sales. The #5 SUV is also offered with PHEV power in China. “The Smart Europe team has built an excellent foundation over the past six years,” said Ufer. “I am looking forward to leading this strong team into our next phase of growth in Europe by leveraging our great products, distinctive brand and dedicated network.”
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That's a tough gig, let's hope the #2 is a return to form design wise and gets the brand back in people's minds or I don't really see the point in Europe.
13,000 sales in Europe (and declining) spread across three models? I’d say it’s time to give up, in Europe at least!