Smart claims that the 8.8-foot-long for-us has the smallest footprint of any car on the road.

Of all the EVs on display at this week’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the smart for-us concept takes the prize for the most distinctive. We’ve never seen a smart-size convertible pickup before. The whimsical body shape, which smart describes as friendly, confident, convex and sensuous, looks as different from a typical macho mega-pickup as possible.

Smart claims that the 8.8-foot-long for-us has the smallest footprint of any car on the road. It could probably fit comfortably in the bed of an F-150, but it has room for two passengers and a three-foot cargo area in back. It’s built around the same drivetrain as the smart fortwo electric drive model, which is expected to launch this fall. A 55-kW motor provides a top speed of over 80 mph, and a 17.6-kWh battery claims a range of 86 miles.

The smart for-us is perfect for e-bicyclists: two slots in the bed fit the front wheels of two smart ebikes, and a docking station keeps the ebike batteries charged. The for-us sits about two inches higher than the smart fortwo.

CEO Dr. Annette Winkler says, “We at smart love pickups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable. With the smart for-us, a petrol station is no longer needed.”

Images: Daimler