smart: owner, models, markets and what the name means
Facts checked United States status as of 4 September 2026
- Private
- Hong Kong Stock Exchange 0175
- Nasdaq Stockholm VOLCAR B
- Nasdaq PSNY
- Nasdaq LOT
smart began as a European small-car marque in 1994 and was relaunched as a Chinese-German joint venture. Mercedes-Benz and Geely Holding announced the plan in 2019 and formally established smart Automobile Co., Ltd. after regulatory approvals, saying so on 8 January 2020. Registered capital was RMB 5.4 billion, contributed equally; Mercedes-Benz's half was covered mainly by putting the smart brand itself into the venture.
The division of labour is explicit: Mercedes-Benz's worldwide design network styles the cars, the Geely side engineers and builds them in China, and the venture's global headquarters is at Hangzhou Bay in Ningbo. A wholly owned European subsidiary, smart Europe GmbH, was set up in June 2020 at Leinfelden-Echterdingen near Stuttgart and runs sales and marketing in Europe through national companies in France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Switzerland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Sweden.
The current line-up is electric and has moved away from the two-seat city car the brand was known for: the #1, #3 and #5 are compact and mid-size SUVs. A two-seater returns with the #2, previewed in April 2026 and due to be shown at the Paris Motor Show in October 2026.
50/50 joint venture: Mercedes-Benz AG and the Geely side hold half each. Neither parent controls it alone.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 智马达 “JRR-mah-DAH” the joint venture's Chinese company name: 智 zhì 'intelligence' plus 马达 mǎdá, the Chinese loanword for 'motor', chosen to echo the sound of 'smart' |
|---|---|
| Also written | Smart and smart Automobile Co., Ltd. |
| Owner | Geely Holding |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Headquarters | Ningbo, China |
| Origin | Germany |
| First car | smart #1, 2022 |
| Vehicles | Cars |
| Segment | Premium |
| United States | Not sold in the United States — smart's own market selector lists no United States site and the joint venture has announced no US launch. Its cars are built in China, which places them under US tariffs on Chinese-built vehicles. |
| Official site | www.smart.com |
| Ownership | 50/50 between Mercedes-Benz AG and the Geely side; smart's own newsroom names the Geely shareholder as Geely Automobile Group Co., Ltd. |
| Registered capital | RMB 5.4 billion, RMB 2.7 billion from each partner |
| Formal establishment | Announced 8 January 2020 after regulatory approvals; venture agreed in 2019 |
| Headquarters | Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo, China; European operations run from Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, through smart Europe GmbH, founded June 2020 |
Who owns smart?
No ownership holding is recorded for this entity.
| Holder | What it is | Share | Since | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geely Holding | runs a joint venture with | 50% of the joint venture | 8 January 2020 | smart Automobile Co., Ltd. was formally established after regulatory approvals with RMB 5.4 billion of registered capital, contributed equally by the two partners; the Geely side put in RMB 2.7 billion. The global headquarters is at Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo. smart's own newsroom now names the Geely shareholder as Geely Automobile Group Co., Ltd. |
| Mercedes-Benz Group AG | runs a joint venture with | 50% of the joint venture | 8 January 2020 | Mercedes-Benz AG holds the other half of smart Automobile Co., Ltd.; its RMB 2.7 billion contribution was covered mainly by putting the smart brand itself into the venture. Mercedes-Benz designs the cars, the Geely side engineers and builds them. |
The full ownership page for smart · Is smart Chinese?
smart models
| Model | Name in China | Body | Powertrain | Range | Price in China |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| smart 精灵#1smart #1 | smart 精灵#1 (smart Jīnglíng Yī Hào) | SUV | Battery-electric | 311 km WLTP | not published |
| smart 精灵#3smart #3 | smart 精灵#3 (smart Jīnglíng Sān Hào) | Crossover | Battery-electric | 325 km WLTP | not published |
| smart 精灵#5smart #5 | smart 精灵#5 (smart Jīnglíng Wǔ Hào) | SUV | Offered with more than one powertrain | 463 km WLTP | not published |
Where smart is sold
Recorded in 32 market s: United Arab Emirates, AT, Australia, BE, CH, Chile, CN, CO, Germany, EC, Spain, FI, France, United Kingdom, GR, HK, IE, IS, Italy, JO, LB, LU, MA, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, PS, PT, Sweden, SG and UY. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.
| Country | Code | Market page |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | AE | Chinese cars in the United Arab Emirates |
| Austria | AT | no page yet |
| Australia | AU | Chinese cars in Australia |
| Belgium | BE | no page yet |
| Switzerland | CH | no page yet |
| Chile | CL | Chinese cars in Chile |
| China | CN | no page yet |
| Colombia | CO | no page yet |
| Germany | DE | Chinese cars in Germany |
| Ecuador | EC | no page yet |
| Spain | ES | Chinese cars in Spain |
| Finland | FI | no page yet |
| France | FR | Chinese cars in France |
| United Kingdom | GB | Chinese cars in the United Kingdom |
| Greece | GR | no page yet |
| Hong Kong SAR China | HK | no page yet |
| Ireland | IE | no page yet |
| Iceland | IS | no page yet |
| Italy | IT | Chinese cars in Italy |
| Jordan | JO | no page yet |
| Lebanon | LB | no page yet |
| Luxembourg | LU | no page yet |
| Morocco | MA | no page yet |
| Malaysia | MY | Chinese cars in Malaysia |
| Netherlands | NL | Chinese cars in the Netherlands |
| Norway | NO | Chinese cars in Norway |
| New Zealand | NZ | Chinese cars in New Zealand |
| Palestinian Territories | PS | no page yet |
| Portugal | PT | no page yet |
| Sweden | SE | Chinese cars in Sweden |
| Singapore | SG | no page yet |
| Uruguay | UY | no page yet |
smart: questions people ask
- Who owns smart cars?
- smart Automobile Co., Ltd. is owned half by Mercedes-Benz AG and half by the Geely side. Mercedes-Benz designs the cars, Geely engineers and builds them in China, and the venture is headquartered at Hangzhou Bay in Ningbo.
- Is smart Chinese or German?
- Both, by design. The brand is German in origin and in styling, the company is a 50/50 Chinese-German joint venture registered in China, and the cars are built in China.
- Are smart cars sold in the United States?
- No. smart lists no US market and has announced no US launch. Its current cars are built in China.
- Does smart still make the two-seater?
- Not at the moment, but one is coming back. The current #1, #3 and #5 are SUVs; smart previewed a new two-seat #2 in April 2026 and says it will have its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October 2026.
Related
Sources for smart
- smart Newsroom, Mercedes-Benz and Geely Holding formally established global joint venture smart Automobile Co., Ltd. for the smart brand. Read .
- smart Newsroom, Organizations. Read . Current ownership wording, smart Europe GmbH and the European national companies; the same page lists the recent #2 announcements.
- smart, smart market selector. Read . Source of the market list: the national smart sites linked from the global site.
- Wikipedia, Smart (marque) (article). Read . Finding aid for the 1994 founding of the marque.