Microcars Coalition takes shape in Europe
A group of European manufacturers of L7e microcars are joining forces to create an alternative to large cars. The founding members of the “Microcars Coalition” include Microlino, City Transformer and Circle Mobility. Many others are expected to join soon.
The coalition’s efforts are focused on raising awareness of microcars and their benefits in cities, ensuring that tax and subsidy policies are encouraging people to switch from large cars to microcars. They also aim to work with city governments to create special exemptions and benefits for microcars in city traffic and car parks.
In terms of what vehicle sizes the Microcars Coalition is looking at, they write of the “L7e (heavy quadricycle) is the EU category for four-wheeled fast microcars that are allowed to drive on any type of road, like all full-size cars”. This category is similar to the L6e vehicles (light quadricycle) which are usually cheap and slow (limited to 45km/h) and are restricted to driving in limited areas. L6e vehicles are used mainly to support the mobility of elderly people or teenagers who don’t have a driving license, however, the L7e standard could apply to many more situations and “are an incredible solution to many societal problems”.
A mobility system based on such vehicles, particularly in urban areas, would mean less pollution, less urban congestion, more energy-efficient transportation, more safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and more public space for green areas and sidewalks. The initiators here point out that “today approximately 50% of urban public space is devoted for roads and parking”. In addition, of the full-size cars in operation, “approximately 80% of them are carrying only a single person”.
While micro-mobility vehicles such as bikes, or public transport would help alleviate a huge part of the vehicle pressure on cities, “studies that were conducted show that approximately a third of daily commuters are not willing to compromise their safety, comfort, flexibility, and privacy”. This is where the L7e standard vehicles could bridge the gap.
The initiators argue that “because of their smaller size, mini-mobility vehicles are less expensive than standard EVs, consume less space, and have more parking options”. “We are going to revolutionize the future of urban mobility and reclaim cities for people, not for 2-ton cars,” said the team of Oliver Ouboter, Co-Founder and COO of Microlino, Alain Di Duca, Founder and VP Business Development of Circle Mobility, and Dr. Anat Bonshtien, VP Business Development of City Transformer.
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