2023-06-23 10:58:28
Alberto Olivera (46), is the general manager of smart in Spain, a position he already held for five years before briefly moving to Endesa X after a long professional career at Mercedes-Benz. In 2021 he returned to the ‘new’ smartand on the occasion of the opening of the new points of sale in the Mercedes-Benz network, we have had the opportunity to interview him to find out what the brand is preparing for this new stage in its history.
– What are the expectations generated by the opening of the network of Smart points of sale in Spain?
We are very happy with the arrival of the new #1 and the opening of points of sale in the main cities in Spain, it is a turning point to start selling our new product and, as I tell the team, go from Power Point to Excel .
– How is the new model?
The ‘tag 1’ or ‘tag-one’ is a premium SUV from segment B with 4.20 meters long, up to 440 kilometers of autonomy, 5 seats and 408 liters of trunk, a very different car in technology, size, public and price to previous smart models.
– How has the market reception been?
The reception has been very good, in fact, we have received many requests to drive and we are convinced that once they try the car, many will reserve one, and discover that it works very well on the road, has high-quality finishes and has assistants. to ‘2-plus’ level driving, which means it can brake alone and perform evasive manoeuvres, among other functions.
– Smart has a large portfolio of customers with electric cars in Spain. How are you going to convey the change from the urban segment to a more versatile one with the #1 model?
That is our main challenge. Until now, smart was a niche brand with small cars, but now we are launching a premium SUV in the B-segment, and after 25 years and 1.2 million city cars, it is an exciting challenge for us. We have a bigger car and we are working hard to convey that it is no longer just a car for the city, but that it can also be used in other contexts.
– You have announced the arrival of a new model. How are you approaching the change from being a purely urban brand to being a more versatile brand?
We are doing a lot of promotional actions to show that the new smart is more versatile. Now you can travel with your family, since it has 5 seats and a large trunk of up to 408 liters, and we are working to convey that it is not only a car for the city, but also ideal for traveling. This idea will be reinforced with #3, even bigger and which will be on sale in the first quarter of 2024.
– #1 comes with three versions between 40,000 and 50,000 euros from which up to 7,000 grants from the Moves Plan can be subtracted. How is the public response?
We have been surprised that the most popular model is the smart Brabus, which is the most expensive: it is priced at 49,600 euros and has 428 hp, acceleration from 0 to 100 in 3.9 seconds (similar to supercars) and Four-wheel drive. It is the most special of our range and the most requested, which means that our customers have medium-high purchasing power and buy this car both for daily use in the city and for occasional outings, a second premium car.
– What do you think of the obsession with high autonomy?
Our range has a minimum autonomy of more than 400 km, and in my opinion it is enough, because more than anxiety about autonomy there is anxiety about the unknown. In Spain, the average daily journey is around 50 km. and those of us who drive electric vehicles know that at first there may be some anxiety, but then it doesn’t exist, what is needed is a good charging speed, and the smart charges up to 150 kW in direct current, and good planning because the recharge is much higher than the general public realizes. So for someone who is not familiar with electric cars, we encourage people to take the test car for two days to realize that range is not an issue.
– How do you see the speed in the adoption of the electric car, mandatory from 2035?
What we have observed is a great interest from the public to know what their next car will be. A high percentage consider electric as an option, and the arrival of restrictions in cities like Madrid and Barcelona meant a turning point in sales, restrictions are about to arrive in Valencia and many other cities due to a legal obligation of the European Union. Added to this are positive discrimination measures, such as free parking in the blue zone in Madrid or Valencia or some free tolls in Barcelona, to name the largest cities. The objective of the authorities is to avoid the concentration of gases such as nitrogen oxide in cities, and it makes perfect sense to reduce emissions as much as possible and protect the health of our citizens.
– In addition to new models, there are also changes in the brand. What difference is there between the new smart and the one we knew so far?
Since its founding 25 years ago, smart has been wholly owned by Mercedes-Benz, now Mercedes-Benz owns 50 percent of the brand and is in charge of vehicle design, and a new Chinese industrial partner has joined, Geely – owner of Volvo, Polestar or Lynk&Co.- which is in charge of manufacturing and engineering the car. This gives us a great opportunity, since it allows us to be reborn as a brand through new products, to have the synergies of Mercedes, since the smart will be sold and repaired in dealerships of the brand, and production in China allows us to offer a competitive car in terms of price. The new smart combines the best of two worlds: German design and Asian manufacturing.
– They have made a clear commitment to maintaining the points of sale and service with Mercedes. How does this mesh with an increasingly digital world?
The concept of dealership has evolved and we focus on offering an experience at the point of sale. We are a brand that sells cars both online and in person, and the customer decides how to interact with us. We have the ability to make direct sales through an e-commerce platform, where the customer can configure the car from home, buy it, finance it and request a charger and can even choose to have the car delivered to their home. But on the other hand, if the customer prefers a more traditional interaction, they can visit a smart dealer, where they will be advised by a salesperson to set up, buy, finance and receive the car. Typically, the customer begins the experience by configuring the car from home and then goes to a dealer. Ultimately, the client chooses how to interact with us, and we always provide the same response, since everything is managed from a unified database.
– What would you say to someone who is considering buying a smart?
I encourage everyone to go to the dealerships, see the new vehicle and give it a try. They will discover how fun it is to drive, the technology it offers and how quiet it is. We are clear that those who try an electric vehicle will never go back.
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