BMW Isetta-Inspired Microlino 2.0 Electric City Car Launched In Final Production Form

Microlino 2.0, the electric city car with a design inspired by the BMW Isetta, is launched in its final form at the IAA Mobility Show in Munich, with production scheduled to start before the end of 2021. The model will come in three versions – Urban, Dolce, and Competizione – and will be available with three battery capacities.

Swiss company Micro, first presented the Microlino back in 2016 with initial plans for a market launch in 2018. After a delay, a heavily reworked Microlino 2.0 appeared in 2020 with a brand new automotive-grade unibody chassis (instead of the previous tubular frame) which is a first for the heavy quadricycle segment.

Wim Ouboter, the founder of Microlino said: “After several years of development and more challenges than we could have imagined, we are beyond proud to show the series version of the Microlino for the first time”.

The design of the production-ready Microlino 2.0 retains all of the features of the earlier prototypes. The car looks adorable, modernizing the successful recipe of the Isetta with additional LED bars, round headlights mounted on the side mirrors, and beautiful surfacing on the compact body. The signature front-mounted door doesn’t have a handle anymore, as you can open it by pressing a button, while featuring a soft-close mechanism.

Inside there is room for 2 people and 230 liters (8.1 cubic feet) of cargo space. The redesigned interior comes with a fixed steering column (instead of being connected to the door), ergonomically designed seats, and a minimalistic dashboard with a digital instrument cluster and an additional touchscreen on the center for controlling the vehicle’s main functions. There is also an aluminum bar with a handle for closing the door.

At the 2021 IAA Mobility Show, Micro announced the Microlino range. The entry-level Urban is available in Santorini White or in Amsterdam Orange with a glossy black roof. Inside there is fabric upholstery in black or anthracite shades.

The mid-range Dolce brings chrome details on the exterior, and the addition of the Paris Mint, Milano Red, and Zurich Blue shades in the color palette, this time combined with a white roof. It also gets the beautiful Infinity LED light bars at the front and at the back complimenting the headlights/taillights. Inside it comes with fabric or vegan leather upholstery. The folding sunroof which is optional in the Urban, is standard on the Dolce and the Competizione.

Speaking of the flagship Microlino, the Competizione (pictured) brings a selection of matte body colors – Gotham Anthracite, London Green, and Torino Aluminum – contrasting the glossy black roof.

The unibody construction has significantly increased the rigidity offering more safety and a vastly improved driving experience. The suspension is fully independent with McPherson struts both at the front and at the rear, replacing the push-rod/rigid axle setup of its predecessor.

The electric powertrain produces 17 hp (12.5 kW / 17 PS) and 118 Nm (87 lb-ft) of torque, with a peak power of 25 hp (19 kW / 26 PS). Thanks to the low curb weight (435 kg excluding the batteries) it can accelerate from 0-50 km/h (0-31 mph) in 5 seconds with a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph).

The heavy quadricycle is available with battery capacities of 6 kWh, 10.5 kWh, and 14 kWh, offering an electric range of 95 km (59 miles), 175 km (109 miles), and 230 km (143 miles) respectively. For a 0-80% charge, the lithium-ion batteries need 4 hours (6 kWh, 14 kWh) or 3 hours (10.5 kWh).

Despite the higher development and production costs, Micro stayed true to the advertised starting price of €12,500 ($14,824). The company states that is finally ready to produce the city car in its own facilities in Turin starting within this year. Initially, the annual capacity will be around 7,500 vehicles but there is the possibility to increase it further in the future.

Micro has received more than 24,000 reservations for the Microlino so we guess the demand is already there. The first deliveries are expected to take place in Switzerland, followed by Germany, with sales in Europe starting later on.

Besides the production version of the Microlino 2.0, Micro presented two more vehicles at the 2021 IAA Mobility Show. The first is Microletta, an electric three-wheeled motorcycle being considered for production, with a removable battery and a starting price of €4,900 ($5,812). The other is the Gladiator, a three-wheeled e-scooter with a 60 km (37 miles) range and suspension on all three wheels, scheduled to hit the market in early 2022.

Finally, the Swiss company also presented “The Micro Mobility Revolution” book that tells its story from its founding in 1999 to date.

Microlino 2.0