Swiss company Micro could change the way Europeans get around … European teenagers, anyway. At the Geneva Motor Show on February 26, Micro debuted the Microlino Lite, an even smaller version of the company's already small electric vehicle, the Microlino. This one, however, will be legal for 14-year-olds to drive in some countries, as The Verge reported.
There are plenty of ways for young people to get from one place to another without adding harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. You can walk, ride a bike, take an electric scooter, or use an electric bike. But what if it's raining, or cold, or both?
That's where the Microlino Lite comes in. On top of shielding you from the weather, it can seat two people and has enough trunk space to haul way more than any of those previously mentioned transportation methods.
"The Microlino Lite is our contribution to making sustainable mobility solutions accessible to an even wider community," Microlino co-founder Merlin Ouboter told Electric Motor News. "We recognize the growing need for such mobility, especially among those who want to be safe and protected from the weather without a driver's license."
The Microlino, which the company's website calls "the ideal mix between motorbike and car," debuted in 2016 and was inspired by the BMW Isetta, a 1950s bubble car.
According to The Verge, the Microlino Lite is about 8 feet long, 5 feet wide, 5 feet high, and weighs about 1,320 pounds. It has a top speed of 28 miles per hour. The age and licensing requirements for driving the Lite's "L6e" category of vehicle in Europe varies from one country to another, but the minimum is anywhere from 14 to 18 years old.
The Lite is more suited for navigating urban areas with narrow streets and small parking spaces than it is for long road trips. The standard version can go about 62 miles on a single charge, and the battery can be recharged from 0 to 80% in two hours, per The Verge. A larger battery is available that can travel roughly 110 miles and can be recharged up to 80% in about four hours.
The Microlino Lite will be available in Europe by early summer. Ouboter aims to have it in the United States by the end of the year and says it will be eligible for registration as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The U.S. version may need to be tweaked, though, as NEVs are only allowed to go up to 25 mph.
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