Micro is a Swiss innovative electric vehicle manufacturer founded by scooter giant Wim Ouboter in 1996 and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.
Micro was originally founded by Wim Ouboter in 1996 as a sports goods sales business. In 1999, he officially established Micro Mobility Systems AG using revenue from his scooter business, achieving a record of selling 800,000 units daily in the first year. The foldable adult scooter it launched went on to sell over 90 million units globally, accumulating more than £600 million in revenue.
Driven by a love for the 1950s BMW Isetta "bubble car," Wim's two sons, Oliver and Merlin, began leading the development of micro electric vehicles in 2015. The prototype was manufactured in China and made its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.
The delivery journey was full of twists and turns. The first-generation model failed to enter production due to disputes with the contract manufacturer. Subsequently, the company redesigned the vehicle from the ground up. While retaining the classic Isetta front-opening door, the body was changed to a stronger one-piece steel-aluminum structure, leading to the launch of the Microlino 2.0 in 2021. In 2022, Microlino officially began customer deliveries. In June 2023, the company announced that cumulative production had exceeded the "milestone" of 1,000 vehicles. In 2024, the brand launched the Lite version, with a top speed limited to 45 km/h. From 2025 to 2026, the brand entered a global expansion phase, landing in overseas markets such as Malaysia and Norway.
Micro's automotive product line revolves around the Microlino series, primarily including three core models:
Microlino (Standard Version): This model falls under the European Union L7e four-wheel motor vehicle certification, with a top speed of 90 km/h. It is equipped with a 17 hp (12.5 kW) rear-mounted motor, accelerating from 0 to 50 km/h in 5 seconds. Three battery capacities are available: 5.5, 10.5, and 15 kWh, with WLTP ranges of approximately 93, 177, and 228 kilometers, respectively. It supports 2.2 kW slow charging, with charging times ranging from 2 to 5.5 hours.
Microlino Lite: This L6e entry-level version was developed for those without a driver's license, with a top speed limited to 45 km/h and a range of approximately 100 kilometers.
Concept / Derivative Models: These include an upgraded soft-top three-box sedan, a roofless Spider version, and an "Anti-Pickup" model designed for the US market. Additionally, the brand had planned a model named the Micro BOX, but no subsequent mass production information has been seen.
Micro's automotive business is still in its early growth stage and has not yet achieved profitability. However, thanks to its unique positioning, it has currently accumulated over 35,000 intent orders in Europe. As of 2026, the starting price of the Microlino standard version in Europe, including tax, is approximately €17,990. In the Norwegian market, prices vary by configuration, ranging approximately from €19,100 to €26,600.
Micro's core philosophy lies in "building cars with the philosophy of scooters"—achieving reduced energy consumption and production redundancy through extreme lightweighting and miniaturization. It adopts a compact one-piece steel-aluminum body and a small-capacity battery pack, making its energy consumption per 100 km only about 6.1 kWh. From a full lifecycle perspective, its carbon footprint is only one-third that of a conventional electric vehicle.
Compared with competitors in the same segment, such as the Citroën Ami, the Microlino's main advantages are its longer range, higher top speed, and its more original design with a retro trend attitude. However, its brand positioning leans more toward the mass market and consumer electronics style, pursuing an extremely simple overall technical configuration, equipped only with small touchscreens and a digital instrument cluster that meets basic needs.
Micro's overseas expansion is steadily accelerating. In September 2025, the Microlino completed its Asian debut in Malaysia, marking its formal entry into the Asian market. In February 2026, the brand announced its entry into Norway, appointing local partners to strengthen sales and after-sales support. Currently, the Microlino is sold in Austria, the UK, the Nordic countries, and others, and plans to enter the US market.
At the supply chain level, Micro continues to rely on the production capacity advantages of Chinese manufacturing, with many of its parts originating from China. At the same time, the vehicle completes final assembly in Turin, Italy, integrating top-tier EU automotive manufacturing processes.
Facing similar products in the Chinese market that are already on the verge of mass production, Micro's strategic goal is cost reduction through scale. By cooperating with potential investors in China, the company is planning and constructing a second factory to significantly reduce the current production cost, which can be up to 5,000 Swiss Francs. The aim is to lower the price of the base model to four digits (Euros or Swiss Francs), with the long-range version not exceeding €15,000.
At the product level, the second normalized model is planned to adopt a more conventional side door design, and the scooter business will continue to fund the automotive project. Although Micro is already an absolute top brand in the two-wheeled mobility field, it remains a novice player in the automotive field. The key to its development lies in whether its unique understanding of urban mobility can be translated into business solutions acceptable to the mainstream market, thereby ultimately winning survival space in the crowded global electric vehicle market.
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