The nippy power of an EV is fantastic for urban driving, so when paired with something that’s small in size, you have a great combination for a city car. This is exactly what Swiss company Micro is thinking with its new Microlino car.
The Microlino is a small two-seater electric car that will travel 125-miles on a full charge. It’s specifically designed for city life with the company believing most people don’t need anything bigger; Micro states the average car only contains 1.2 people and drives less than 20 miles per day. With space for two adults and whatever you need to carry — Micro specifically states ‘two adults and three beer crates’ — this little car could play a large role in urban mobility.
Production will start this year following the success of a second prototype model. Taking styling cues from the famous BMW Isetta city car from the fifties, it has a front-opening door that allows you to drive forward into a space and exit straight onto the pavement.
Able to recharge in just four hours (on a normal home socket), the Microlino will be available with two battery sizes. One that will do 78 miles on a full charge — similar to the Renault Twizy — and one with a range of 125 miles. Its top speed is 56 miles per hour and it’ll cost just 12,000 euros (£10,500).
Micro is perhaps best known as the company that made the first folding scooter but has pivoted in recent years to focus on electric mobility with the Microletta three-wheel moped and now the Microlino car. The little city car is positioned as ‘the perfect mix between car and motorbike’. Its size, range, and ease of charging makes it a great option for city car-sharing schemes and micro-mobility projects.
Additional prototypes will follow from March, with the homologation process due to begin in June. Micro anticipates it will achieve EU approval in August before beginning full production in September.
