Following the announcement earlier in the month that its new production line in Turin, Italy, is now operational, Micro Mobility Systems AG has launched a limited "Pioneer" edition of its cute little Isetta for the modern electric age, the Microlino city microcar.
Micro Mobility Systems AG began by selling electric scooters in 1999, and decided to expand into other micromobility solutions with the launch of an electric bubble car at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. The electric bubble car underwent a complete redesign in 2020, and has been further tweaked on the road to production.
The company's new 3,000 m2 assembly line will eventually produce a Microlino EV every 20 minutes, but for now the focus is on rolling out Pioneer Series models – a limited run of 999 microcars destined for early adopters as a reward for their patient six-year wait.
Micro's two-seater ride is officially classed as a heavy quadricycle under the European L7e vehicle category, putting it in the same e-mobility space as Renault's pioneering Twizy.
Designed for modern city living, the Microlino sports a 12.5-kW motor for 89 Nm (65.6 lb-ft) of torque and a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph), offers 230 liters of trunk space for shopping, and rocks dimensions that could see three of these things squeeze side-by-side into a standard parking spot.
Production Microlinos will be constructed using mostly European components, and offered in three distinct editions plus three battery configurations up to 14 kWh for 230 km (143 miles) of per-charge driving fun. The 515-kg (1,135-lb) Pioneer edition comes with a 10-5-kWh Li-ion battery pack for up to 177 km (110 miles) on a single charge, and can be topped up from a wall outlet at home in under four hours.
Each individually numbered vehicle will be available in a choice of Atlantic Blue and Torino Aluminium finishes that will be unique to this edition. The "premium" interior material palette includes vegan leather and suede, a sunroof comes as standard so drivers can feel the wind in their hair on sunny days, and though the microcar doesn't feature a built-in infotainment system it does come with portable Bluetooth speakers that can be fed tunes from a paired smartphone.
The Microlino has a base price of €12,500 (~US$13k), and is currently open for reservations via the company website. More details on the launch of a vehicle configurator and the production timeline for the three main models, as well as the introduction of a special Pioneer membership tier, are expected later this month.
Source: Micro Mobility Systems AG
Like ScottBaker, I wonder if itt comes to the USA. being small, it might not. perhaps listed as a neighborhood electric vehicle - NEV, it could come here? Perhaps be used as a 'last miler'? perhaps a rental in resort areas? be used in gated communities? I think it has possibilities.
Personally I found the music over the top dramatic and unsubtle, certainly not what I would expect from a stylish car maker.