Is this the world's tiniest EV? Moped license valid to drive this Swiss car

The Maruti Suzuki Alto measures 3,455 mm in length. The now defunct Tata Nano was at 3,099 mm. The MG Motor Comet EV is 2,974 mm long. And if you thought cars cannot possibly be any smaller, stop. Introducing the Microlino Lite EV from Swiss manufacturer Micro. If not amply clear from the name of the company itself, the Microlino Lite measures just 2,500 mm in length, is 1,470 mm wide and stands 1,500 mm tall. Big may be better in many instances but compact sure is cute, at least in the case of Microlino Lite.

The production version of Microlino Lite was recently unveiled at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show and garnered quite a bit of attention. Of course it is tiny but there are several other highlights that this EV promises. For instance, a moped license is good enough - and valid - for someone looking to drive this four-wheeled option. This means someone as young as 14 years of age can legally drive this vehicle in many European countries.

But don't expect to go fast. Or far. The entry-level variant gets a 5.5kWh battery pack with a claimed per-charge range of 100 kilometres. There is also an upper variant which packs a 11 kWh battery for a promised range of 177 kilometres. Using a 2.2kW Type 2 charger, it takes two hours to power the former back to full while it would take around four hours to re-power the variant with the bigger battery.

As mentioned earlier, do not expect to race in this model because the Microlino Lite has a top speed of 45 kmph and offers just 12 bhp. The weight is kept as low as 600 kilos.

Where the Microlino Lite may make best sense is in terms of pricing. The base variant is priced at 17,999 euros (approximately ₹16 lakh - relatively affordable for many European customers. Pre-order window has been opened but interested customers can also opt for a lease model where pricing comes to around 156 euros per month (approximately ₹14,000).