Photo: Micro Mobility Systems
In the first month of the year, Europeans got a taste of a BMW Isetta revival of sorts, after a little car named Microlino was presented by a Swiss company no one really heard of called Micro Mobility Systems.
Six months or so after that moment, the company announced the little bubble car has passed the last tests under the European Union homologation procedures, clearing the way for production and sales of the model.
Getting the required paperwork means the Microlino is now street legal in Europe. Micro Mobility Systems says that thanks to this it will try to start production of a test model no later than this September.
The initial production run will be used as a test bed and to gather relevant feedback from customers. Once all the feedback is compiled, the company will design a final version on the car whose production is scheduled to start in December.
The bubble car, with its iconic front-end doubling as an access door, weighs 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds). It is powered by a 20-horsepower, 110-Nm electric motor, coupled to an 8-kWh battery.
The motor is powerful enough to make the car reach a top speed of 90 kph (56 mph), while the battery provides a range of 120 kilometers (75 miles). A more capable battery, at 14.4 kWh, will be offered as an option and it will provide a range of 215 kilometers (133 miles).
The Microlino can seat two adults in the front and two children in the back, and despite its size, it comes with a cargo capacity of 300 liters.
For now, the Microlino is priced starting from 12,650 Euros. At the time of its introduction, Micro Mobility Systems said 4,500 people had already paid the 1,000 Euros refundable deposit to reserve one. All will be able to configure their cars as soon as a new website to allow these operations will be launched.
Getting the required paperwork means the Microlino is now street legal in Europe. Micro Mobility Systems says that thanks to this it will try to start production of a test model no later than this September.
The initial production run will be used as a test bed and to gather relevant feedback from customers. Once all the feedback is compiled, the company will design a final version on the car whose production is scheduled to start in December.
The bubble car, with its iconic front-end doubling as an access door, weighs 450 kilograms (1,000 pounds). It is powered by a 20-horsepower, 110-Nm electric motor, coupled to an 8-kWh battery.
The motor is powerful enough to make the car reach a top speed of 90 kph (56 mph), while the battery provides a range of 120 kilometers (75 miles). A more capable battery, at 14.4 kWh, will be offered as an option and it will provide a range of 215 kilometers (133 miles).
The Microlino can seat two adults in the front and two children in the back, and despite its size, it comes with a cargo capacity of 300 liters.
For now, the Microlino is priced starting from 12,650 Euros. At the time of its introduction, Micro Mobility Systems said 4,500 people had already paid the 1,000 Euros refundable deposit to reserve one. All will be able to configure their cars as soon as a new website to allow these operations will be launched.
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