Source | YuanAuto

According to reports from various media outlets, including the 21st Century Business Herald, the iPhone Duo, which went on sale on its debut day on October 23, has witnessed its "scalper price" on second-hand trading platforms plummet to as low as 3,000 yuan. It's safe to say that such a decline in premium value has knocked Apple's foldable screen out of the top tier of "investment products."

After all, orders for the 5,000-yuan Smart #2 Gilded High Edition are also being resold with a 3,000-yuan markup.

A search for "Smart #2" on a well-known second-hand trading platform reveals nearly 10 listings for reselling orders of the Smart #2 Gilded High Edition, generally priced at 5,000 yuan, with several listings asking for 7,999 yuan or more. Sellers are located in various regions, including Jiangsu, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Anhui.

According to YuanAuto, sellers are targeting orders for the Smart #2 Gilded High Edition not only because the car is a limited edition of 999 units and will be delivered within the year, allowing buyers to fulfill their dream of owning a Smart two-door electric vehicle, but also because many orders may have already won prizes, including the latest iPhone models. This has led some sellers to attempt to "profit without investment."

"Prior to the sale of the Smart #2 Gilded High Edition, there was an official blind reservation (blind booking) activity for 298 yuan, offering the chance to win prizes worth up to 20,000 yuan after placing an order. However, the prize could only be claimed upon vehicle delivery."

On October 19, an owner who participated in the Smart #2 blind booking activity told YuanAuto that some individuals are transferring orders for the High Edition at the original price of 5,000 yuan online, presumably due to the prizes.

It's worth noting that the limited edition of 999 units of the Smart #2 Gilded High Edition sold out within approximately a day after its release on October 12, while the 298-yuan blind booking activity remains ongoing. Additionally, the official guide price for the Smart #2 Gilded High Edition is around 113,000 yuan, with the price for the standard version to be announced in November.

From Smart's perspective, while scalper speculation is certainly unwelcome, the fact that there is a market for reselling orders of the #2 High Edition at a premium is undeniably a sign of the new car's popularity. Although the motivation may be questionable, to some extent, the more people "speculate" on the High Edition, the higher the likelihood of strong sales for the standard #2.

Currently, for the standard Smart #2 to become a bestseller, it needs more compelling reasons to attract buyers.

Firstly, as a two-seat pure electric compact car, the Smart #2 is primarily intended as an additional purchase, with a naturally smaller customer base compared to mainstream models. At the same time, the 100,000-yuan price range of the Smart #2 further "disincentivizes" some potential buyers.

Secondly, the Smart #2 will successively launch more derivative models after the standard version's release, such as the already announced BRABUS version, which emphasizes sportiness, and even a convertible version, which Tong Xiangbei, the global CEO of the Smart brand, hinted at during a media exchange by saying, "I can't reveal that yet." Consumers willing to spend over 100,000 yuan on a two-seat electric vehicle may also be willing to wait a bit longer to get the best emotional value.

However, the success of the Smart #2 is not solely dependent on the domestic market.

It is reported that the Smart #2 is produced at a manufacturing base in the Jinan High-Tech Zone, Shandong Province, owned by Zhejiang Haoqing Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. It is supplied not only to the domestic market but also exported globally. According to the automaker's official statement, the #2 will be sold overseas as complete vehicles, with no plans for a second overseas production line at present.

In other words, the Smart #2 may follow the path of domestically produced BMW MINIs, which are exported more than sold domestically. Data shows that GWM BMW, a joint venture between Great Wall Motors and BMW, reached the milestone of the 100,000th pure electric MINI rolling off the production line as early as June 2025, while the cumulative domestic sales of pure electric MINIs were quite lackluster at that time.

According to the Tianyancha app, GWM BMW is an automotive production enterprise jointly ventured by Great Wall Motors and BMW.

Returning to Smart, overseas markets have long been a more crucial component of its sales. According to official statements, this premium brand backed by Geely and Mercedes-Benz achieved an 8% year-on-year increase in global deliveries in the first half of 2026. Additionally, according to terminal sales data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the China Passenger Car Association, Smart's sales in the Chinese market from January to June this year decreased by more than 20% year-on-year.

The disparity in Smart's appeal in the Chinese and overseas markets is evident.

It can be expected that with the #2, which best highlights the brand's character and is the only high-end two-seat pure electric compact car on the market, gradually launching in different regional markets globally, Smart has a great chance to shine in 2027. And when the "little smart" sells well, the "big smarts" might also reap the benefits.

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