Swiss company Micro has been showing off the production version of its two-seater quadricycle dubbed the Microlino 2.0 at the Paris Motor Show. The light electric vehicle (LEV) specialist also debuted a brand new lower-speed Microlino Lite and a soft-top concept version.
The Microlino 2.0 is technically an L7e LEV meaning it has a maximum speed of 56mph and will come with a choice of 6kWh, 10.5kWh and 14kWh lithium batteries (claimed respective ranges being 56, 110 and 143 miles). Peak motor power is rated at 12.5kW - some fifty times the UK e-bike legal rating of 250W.
The real selling points though are size and price. The Microlino 2.0 takes up a third of the average parking space and its front opening door means the driver and passenger can get out straight onto the pavement. Despite its small size, it boasts 230 litres of carrying space. It's also easier to charge than a full size electric car, using a standard house plug socket rather than requiring the expensive specialist charging outlet of its bigger cousins.
At €15,000 (£13,000) it's certainly not cheap, but nevertheless more affordable than your average electric car. (A recent RAC poll showed that only 14% of respondents were intending to make their next car electric and that only 28% of all respondents intended to switch to a new car over the next two years.)
It should also appeal to those with a green conscience. It's meant to be simple to manufacture and lightweight. “Simply said, we need a lot less battery cells per km of range than conventional electric cars, because the vehicle needs a lot less energy to be moved around,” Micro’s Co-Founder and CMO Merlin Ouboter told micromobility website Zag Daily.
Ouboter added, “The Microlino or any vehicles in its size and category use around 50% less energy than smaller electric cars on 100km of usage and 50% less in production due to the small battery and size.”
Will it be successful?
Whilst Microlino say they have 35,000 pre-orders, it's also true that the idea of the Microlino has been around quite some time - in concept form at least since the 2016 Geneva motor show. But with quadricycle competitors such as the Citroen Ami (cheaper but much slower at 28mph than the Microlino) and Renault's Moblize Duo now on sale in Micro's home market of Switzerland, it's clear the company thinks now is the right time to launch a production version.
Switzerland has a relatively high proportion of microcars and a strong tradition in that area, whilst in countries like France it should be possible for a 14 year old to drive the Microlino 2 once they have taken their BSR (Brevet de sécurité routière) course.
It will be interesting to see how the Micrlino 2.0 fares next year as that is when deliveries in France and other European countries are due to start (no info yet on UK availability).
The UK might be a harder nut to crack for Microlino, lacking the headstart quadricycles have in countries like France and Switzerland. However, if you want to know which LEVs other than e-bikes you can ride over here, check out our alternatives to e-bikes piece.
Lite, Spiaggina and Microletta
Micro also premiered a new lower-speed quadricycle, the Microlino Lite, capable of a max speed of 28mph - in many ways identical to the Microlino 2.0 apart from the lower speed.
The Microline Spiaggina is only a concept vehicle at the minute and is open on the sides and the rear above the bodywork to “get a gentle breeze in the hot summer weather” - so it's clearly designed for Mediterranean climes or the like.
The Micro Microletta, meanwhile, is a three-wheeled e-moped with the two front wheels of the 'tadpole' design aimed at giving more grip and stability than a conventional two-wheeled moped. Again, this is a concept vehicle only.
However, Micro say they hope to go into production with the Spiaggina and Lite versions in 2023.
