When we talked about the Microlino 2.0 and the Microletta, back on February 25, the Geneva Motor Show was still not canceled. When it was, we wondered how the Ouboter family would present its much-anticipated bubble car. Well, the internet did not let the presentation go unnoticed and here is the car that reached its second generation without ever selling the first one. It presents a lot more changes than most may expect.
Gallery: Check New Pictures Of The Microlino 2.0 And The Microletta
The technical changes have presented by Peter Müller, Micro-Mobility’s new CTO and Artega’s former COO, and CEO. He mentioned some of the most important changes the project received. It looks more polished and his description of modifications confirms that impression.
More Microlino News:
The plastic body is no more. The Microlino is now made of aluminum and steel, while its structure is also made from stamped steel instead of a tubular frame. Only the bumpers still use plastic components.
The suspension is now independent in all four wheels, which demanded the rear track to be larger. The asynchronous motor placed on the rear axle gave place to a synchronous motor with permanent magnets that is both more powerful and more efficient than the previous one. It is now placed on the vehicle’s chassis, which reduced unsprung mass.
The battery pack also received an update. Instead of the LiFEPO4 chemistry it had before – the same one Tesla will adopt in the Standard Range Model 3 in China – the Microlino 2.0 uses NMC cells. They are more energy-dense, something that will allow Micro-Mobility to reduce the vehicle’s weight to have the same 200 km range it shall offer.
The steering column now just tilts forward instead of moving with the front door. That will allow the door to open more and the steering to be more precise at the same time. With that, the dashboard is now mounted on the steering column instead of on the door, as it was in the Microlino 1.0.
CECOMP, the new manufacturing partner for Micro-Mobility, must have been the deal of a lifetime. When you consider the car will have the same price as the previous one, that can only be credited to more efficient manufacturing or to a large production scale. Perhaps both.
Apart from the Microlino 2.0, the Ouboter brothers also presented the Microletta, a three-wheeled scooter that was supposed to be just a show vehicle. With the same charming looks of its bigger brother and two swappable batteries that can be charged at home in four hours, we’d bet it is a go.