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Supply Shortage Postpones Microlino 2.0 Manufacturing: Check Its Production Lines

At least 24,000 pre-order holders and millions of fans worldwide must be asking: where’s Microlino? The bubble car made headlines when it was revealed and its production was expected to begin in 2021. Micro-Mobility informed us why that did not happen: blame the global supply shortage. We’re not talking only about chips but other components as well, such as wiring harness connectors.
Microlino production line in Turin 13 photos
Photo: Micro-Mobility
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The company that created Microlino shared with autoevolution that it plans to start its production by mid-March if everything goes as planned. The company tried to get ahead of the global supply chain issues by ordering “crucial parts way in advance,” but it did not prevent problems with components that were taken for granted. For example, the connectors for wiring harnesses that we mentioned above are practically a commodity. Unfortunately, now companies “have lead times of up to 50 weeks” with this component.

That did not stop Micro-Mobility from producing a few units of the Microlino, as you can see in the video below. It presents the BIW (body-in-white) and chassis production line. The company promised to release a video of the final assembly line when it has all the parts and finishes all procedures for it to operate normally. The factory – established in Turin in a partnership with CECOMP – is already active and the few cars it manufactured so far “are used for additional testing and process optimization.”

When the Microlino is ready for deliveries, the first customers to receive it will be the ones in Switzerland. Micro-Mobility expects them to get their cars by April or May, depending on the production pace. Soon after that, Germany will start getting its Microlinos as well. According to Merlin Ouboter – Micro-Mobility CMO (chief marketing officer) – the Germans are the customers who have ordered most Microlinos so far.

Micro-Mobility expects to compensate for the delay with a faster ramp-up in production in the second half of 2022. That’s what is necessary for the bubble car to reach other European markets. Considering the number of clients involved, France and the United Kingdom should be the next ones to get the Microlino – in that order.

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About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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