Swiss scooter maker Micro Mobility, the company that pioneered the folding scooter in the 1990s, continues work on the Microlino, a tiny EV styled after the BMW Isetta. We saw the prototype at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show and now the company says it is planning to start production this summer and the plan is to eventually sell them here, a prospect that was unclear in 2018.

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“We are planning on launching the car in the US as well,” chief marketing officer Merlin Ouboter told Autoweek, “however since the regulations differ from the ones we have in Europe, we will need to do some technical modifications to get the Microlino street legal in the US. Therefore I cannot give you an official launch date yet.”

Micro Mobility has definitely been busy since 2018. The company says it has redone the car’s structure to meet various safety requirements, going from a tubular structure to pressed steel and aluminum, and that it is widening the rear axle so the car can have front and rear independent suspension.

The asynchronous motor the company was working is out, with a permanent-magnet motor replacing it. The company says the new motor provides “about 15 percent” more efficiency and “significantly” more power and estimates a 125 mile range.

NMC batteries are replacing the lithium iron phosphate batteries because NMC has a higher energy density. Micro Mobility says going with NMC allowed designers to make the passenger compartment bigger.

Speaking of, the interior has been redesigned with a now-fixed steering column rather than being connected to the door. The company says the seat offers better ergonomics, and there’s a new digital dash.

The car goes on sale in Europe this year start around $14,500. We’ll be keeping an eye on the U.S. plans.

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