BMW Isetta-inspired Microlino EV coming to the UK, and we’ve driven it!
The tiny Microlino and the new Microlino Lite electric cars have been given the green light for UK sales
If you thought the Citroen Ami wasn’t cutesy enough, check out the new Microlino - which gained a ‘Lite’ variant during the Geneva Motor Show. Micro (the firm behind the Microlino) confirmed both of its vehicles will be made available in the UK, although details surrounding dealer locations are still to be decided.
The Microlino is built in Turin, Italy and if you think it looks similar to a certain ‘bubble car’, you’d be right. Because the original was penned in Italy by ISO Rivolta, the firm didn’t need to get the all-clear from BMW as the German firm doesn’t own the design rights to the Isetta.
Alongside the Microlino in Geneva sat the new Microlino Lite. It features the same body shell and overall design as the standard car (along with that eye-catching front-door). The battery size of 5.5kWh is also the same, although you can double this to 11kWh in both cars. The Lite’s power is reined-in to 12bhp, with a top speed of 28mph (opposed to 55mph) to comply with Europe’s L6e light quadricycle regulations (like the Citroen Ami), allowing anyone over the age of 14 to drive it in Europe. Anyone with a motorbike licence in the UK should be able to drive the Lite.
Despite the tiny battery, the Microlino Lite can reach 62 miles of range with the smaller battery and 112 miles with the larger unit - easily exceeding the Ami’s 46 miles of range. A maximum charging speed of just 11kWh means it does take 4 hours to go from 0 to 80 per cent in the bigger battery model, with that time halved for the smaller battery.
The Microlino has similar dimensions to the Citroen Ami and its Italian sibling, the Fiat Topolino, but there’s 167 litres more boot space in the Microlino (230 litres). The seating arrangement inside is a simple bench, rather than the individual seats of the Citroen.
Speaking to Auto Express, Micro’s co-founder Merlin Ouboter said, “we are planning on bringing the Microlino and Microlino Lite to the UK market in 2025”. Ouboter didn’t announce pricing, but suggested a similar price point to the new Silence 04 of around £16,000.
On the road in the Microlino
By John McIlroy
A recent test of the full-fat Microlino in Germany left us with a few conclusions. Firstly, it’s faster and more comfortable than the Citroen Ami (we saw over 80kph (50mph) during our brief drive). Secondly, the engineering is a delight, with plenty of money clearly spent on the side-hinged front-door mechanism.
The bad news? It looks pricey, when £16k will soon buy you a Dacia Spring in the UK. Finding a graceful way of climbing in or out through the front end isn’t the work of a moment, either.
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