Micro Mobility Systems, a Swiss company, has designed and built a modern Isetta with electric drive.
It all started in 2015, when the company collaborated with ZHAW University and Designwerk to create several concepts, and they even converted an old Isetta to electric propulsion to test the idea before building an EV this small.
This year, Micro Mobility Systems presented its first prototype at the Geneva Motor Show, and it is considering production for the Microlino, the modern and electric Isetta.
The designer behind this project is Wim Oubouter, inventor of the Micro Scooter and Kickboard. The success of his previous products makes us believe there is hope for this Isetta revival.
Like conventional car companies, Micro Mobility Systems is focused on providing mobility solutions, and its idea is of a vehicle that can also be used in a car-sharing scheme.
Unlike current electric cars, the Microlino has a long charging cable integrated into it. The length of the cable is of around 33 feet (10 meters), and the idea is to make it easy for customers to get the vehicle to a charging plug.
Most EVs have shorter charging plugs, and some require adapters, but the Microlino works with standard sockets, which use the same format in most parts of Europe. Ironically, Switzerland has a different socket size than the rest of Europe, so adaptors might be provided for other markets.
The idea behind this vehicle is integrating it into the quadricycle category, just like Renault’s Twizy. This calls for a lower top speed, less power, and different safety standards. The latter are not as strict as in passenger vehicles, but quadricycles still have to respect stringent safety norms.
The company claims its electric motor will provide around 20 HP and will get the vehicle to a top speed of 96 km/h (60 MPH). The range will be between 60 and 75 miles, the equivalent of 96 to 120 kilometers. Since it is illegal to drive a quadricycle that fast, top speed might be capped for some versions to ensure it is on par with legal requirements.
The company says it will build the first production cars in 2017, but take this with a grain of salt, as the car and microcar business require consistent and earnest funding to ensure the survival of a company, not to mention that of a startup.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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