The Microlino Is a Tiny Urban EV with a Lot of Heart

The Microlino is a vehicle so charming, you can’t help but smile. This tiny, Italian-made vehicle is from the Swiss company Micro, and they don’t even want you to refer to it as a car.

Considered a microcar, the vehicle is described as “the ideal mix between a motorbike and a car”, and is small enough it can be parked head-in on parallel spots.

Indeed, the Microlino’s top selling point is its size and maneuverability, especially in tight urban spaces, where parking and driving is most difficult.

The vehicle has a maximum range of 142 miles (228km) and top speed of just 55 miles per hour, but is perfectly suited for cities like Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich and Barcelona, where space is at a premium.

We’re taken by the unapologetic bubble-car aesthetic, slim light bar, and mirrors, which give the appearance of friendly eyes.

To get in the Microlino, you open the entire front of the car, exposing a small bench seat where two adults can fit. Snugly, but they fit.

The car can be fully charged on a household outlet in four hours, or quicker on level-2 charging.

Another major selling point is how eco-friendly the Microlino is. It has 65% lower energy consumption than other small cars, needing less energy during both production and driving than any other car, according to Microlino’s website.

With 50% fewer parts than in regular cars, the maintenance should be minimized. Below are the basic assembly parts of the microcar.

Cross-parking is one of the key selling features, something we’ve never experienced. Imagine parking your car facing the curb, and then opening the front to walk directly onto the sidewalk.

With prices from EUR 17,900, the Microlino isn’t cheap, but comes with a number of features that make it feel worth the money, even for a tiny car.