Micro, a Swiss brand focused on urban mobility, has revealed its next concept for the Microlino 2.0. This tiny EV is what they plan to start to produce in September 2021 if Europe approval happens in April. It’s a cute bubble of a car that would make an excellent sight to the European roads it will be built for.
The Microlino. Designed for the average city driving European.
If you took all the average user statistics in Europe to create an EV, you would get this little Microlino. What are these statistics? Well, according to Micro, the average car is only ever occupied by 1.2 people, driven for 35 km per day and needs a luggage space of three beer crates. Their words, not ours.
As funny as this is, Micro has created what they call the “ideal mix” of motorbike and car to perfectly suit the average city driver. It can carry one driver, one passenger and still have enough space to arrive at a party with a more than suitable amount of alcohol.
What is probably the most interesting feature this EV has is a front-opening door. This will allow occupants to exit straight onto the pavement when parked nose-forward. This would create quite a unique entry. Because the nose of the car is now also a door, the steering wheel now attaches to the floor instead of the dashboard.
What would the cabin be like?
Inside, Micro has taken a very minimalistic approach. In fact, the brand claims to have 50% fewer parts than the average EV. A digital displays only key information that a driver would need and most standard accessories in regular vehicles have been removed.
One example of this is instead of a sound system, there is now a special place to put a phone or wireless speaker. We hope that at the very least, the Microlino will have a USB port for charging your mobile device that will now become your infotainment system.
Surprisingly competitive performance for such a tiny EV.
The Microlino is built around a pressed steel and aluminium monocoque that according to Micro will improve the rigidity without adding a lot of extra weight. That weight comes in at a very low 513 kg. With the help of that incredibly low weight, the Microlino can get to a top speed of 90 km/h and an impressive range of 125 km or 201 km. Range varies on the two different battery packs that will be available.
When it comes to charging, exact figures are not known. Micro claims that the Microlino will be able to reach a full charge in four hours from a domestic plug slot.
Right now, the starting price for one of these little EVs is €12,000, about R213,210 with the current exchange rate. This will put in direct competition with the Citroën Ami One, another tiny EV that can be driven without a driver’s license.
If you want to keep up to date with the Microlino, more prototypes are expected to be revealed in March.
