2023-07-31 15:52:34
Microlino is a Swiss brand that manufactures in Turin (Italy). This 100% electric light vehicle offers two comfortable seats, with a range of 177 km, a maximum speed of 90 km/h and a boot capacity of 230 liters. The Microlino has been specifically designed for urban areas, although it can travel on any type of road, including motorways and dual carriageways.
In addition, its original design draws attention due to the access door, placed in the front area, which, together with its barely two and a half meters long and one and a half meters wide, allows it to be parked in very small spaces.
The vehicle was specifically designed for urban areas and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Chicago Athenaeum’s Good Design Award, the world’s oldest design award.
The innovative electric two-seater is available with a fee of €450/month starting this week in the catalog of Astara MoveAstara’s monthly subscription service, which has more than twenty brands.
The monthly subscription fee for the chosen model, the Microlino Pioneer Series, will be €450/month with insurance, maintenance and taxes included. The mileage will be unlimited.
Inspired by the Isetta
This car is inspired by the iconic Isetta, a car that was born in post-war Italy as what would now be called “a mobility solution”, thanks to the firm Iso SpA.
In the early 1950s, the company manufactured refrigerators, motorcycles and small three-wheeled vehicles for the transport of goods, known in Spain as “Iso-carros”. The owner of Iso, Renzo Rivolta, wanted a small vehicle, for the transport of two occupants and with a reasonable price that would allow mass distribution. Under these principles, in 1952, the engineers Ermenegildo Preti and Pierluigi Raggi conceived a car with a motorcycle engine of the Iso 200 and named it “Isetta”, an Italian diminutive meaning “little Iso”.
The original Italian FP vehicle
The Isetta (or the Isetta, in Italy the car is for women, let’s not forget), caused a real impact at its presentation in Turin to the motoring press in November 1953. Small (only 2.29 m long by 1 .37 m wide), with an egg shape, bubble windows, and the entire front of the car turned into a large access door (an idea inspired by cargo planes), it was quite the provocation. In the event of an accident, the driver and passenger were required to exit through the canvas sunroof. The steering wheel and the instrument panel opened associated with the only door, facilitating access to the interior. The seat offered reasonable comfort for two occupants, and perhaps a small child. Behind it was a parcel platform with a spare tire located below. The heating was optional and the ventilation…, because it was enough to open the fabric roof.
It had an Iso motorcycle engine, a two-stroke single-cylinder with 236 cubic centimeters of displacement and 9.5 CV, equipped with a Dynastart, a mixture of dynamo and starter motor. The change was manual, with three relations and reverse gear, and the transmission to the only rear wheel (in principle, two were later adopted), was by chain. These 10-inch wheels were very close together, only 48 centimeters apart, which made it possible to do without a differential.
The front axle was a modified version of a Dubonnet-type independent front suspension. The Isetta used 30 seconds to reach 50 km/h and its top speed was 75 km/h. The gasoline tank had a capacity of 13 liters and consumption was below 6 liters per 100 kilometers.
How Microlino was born
In 1999, Swiss entrepreneur Wim Ouboter founded Micro by inventing the first kickscooter ideal for urban mobility, being the first to use the term “micro mobility”. The Micro Kickscooter became a huge success, selling millions of units already in its launch year and being imitated countless times.
In 2013, Micro entered electric mobility, launching its first E-Scooter. Since then, Micro has continually evolved its line of electrical products and partnered with brands such as BMW, Mercedes and Peugeot.
In 2015, Micro began developing the Microlino, led by Wim Ouboter’s two sons, Merlin and Oliver. Initially intended as a public relations action at the Geneva Motor Show, public interest was so great that Micro decided to start series development. After many setbacks including the acquisition of Micro’s former production partner by a third party, Micro decided to completely redesign the Microlino and take over production on its own responsibility.
Micro is a Swiss family business 100% owned by the Ouboter family. The company has received numerous awards for its products and leadership, including the “Fast Company” Award and the Most Innovative Company award.
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