► A new baby EV for London
► Micro Eletric priced from £11,499
► Also available as a Box Van
A new kind of shrunken electric vehicle has been launched for punters wanting a compact battery runabout for Britain’s busy city centres. The Micro Electric (shortened to ME, geddit?) is a quadricycle in the mould of the unloved G-Wiz, but claims to have better safety, longer range and better creds to make it a viable prospect.
It’s a two-seater city car, with prices from £11,499; add £500 and you can upgrade to the Micro Electric Box Van, for businesses wanting to make urban deliveries on a shoestring.
The problem it faces is the raft of cheaper EVs already on sale. A Renault Twizy currently starts at just £6690, for instance (although you must hire the battery separately).
Micro Electric: who’s selling it?
These ME electric cars are manufactured in the Far East and are being distributed in the UK by EV specialist Siticars.com with first UK deliveries due in May 2019. Key stats claimed include:
- Range 93 miles
- Top speed 49mph
- Battery capacity 10kWh
- Charging time 4-6 hours
- Dimensions 2245mm (L), 1290mm (W), 1570mm (H)
The company provides a three-year warranty and promises to deliver nationwide (at a cost; delivery to west London showroom is included in the prices quoted).
While the Indian-made G-Wiz famously crumpled in crash tests, the makers of the Micro Electric promise the LE7-type heavy quadricycle has passed all relevant criteria for UK sale. ‘The vehicle meets full safety standards required for EU and UK compliance and undergoes the same structural assessments as all other vehicles in this category,’ officials say. ‘It is fully approved for use on UK roads by DVLA and has full EU certificates of compliance.’
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