Blick turns the first test round
This is how the Microlino 2.0 drives
Finally you can buy the Microlino 2.0. And finally we were able to do a first, short test round in Dübendorf ZH with a copy of the exclusive Pioneer first series from the Küsnacht kickboard manufacturer.
Probably not very elegantly I crawl through the front door onto the driver’s seat. The front boarding of the two-seater takes some getting used to. “But practical if regarding three Microlino stand side by side in a parking space. That’s possible, »says co-managing director Oliver Ouboter (27) and grins. He accompanies me on my first practice lap through Dübendorf ZH.
It’s hot, there is no air conditioning in the Microlino, but there is a manually operated folding roof – and the seats are a bit cramped for two people. I don’t want to drive as far as Ticino like that, I think to myself. But that’s not the idea either. The all-electric Microlino, 2.52 meters long and 1.47 meters wide, is designed for the city with its maximum range of 230 kilometers. There are no airbags, but thanks to the self-supporting steel body it is significantly more safe than the first Microlino 1.0 prototype.
No comparison to the first prototype
I drive off. Except for a slight whirring of the 17 hp electric motor, it is almost completely silent. “Because the two-seater, which weighs almost 500 kilos, is officially an ‘L7e Heavy Quadricyle’, it can be used like a moped and doesn’t have to make any artificial noises,” explains Oliver Ouboter. The cockpit is rudimentary, but everything is there: a non-slip steering wheel, indicator and headlight levers like in a “real” car, plus an easy-to-read display with digital displays. To my left there is a rotary switch for the «R», «N» and «D» riding modes and a mechanical handbrake. And there’s even a “Sport” button. Pressed, the two-seater accelerates a little faster at the traffic light. Small gag: A flame appears on the symbolized vehicle in the display. A maximum speed of 90 – and thus also driving on the motorway – is possible.
Thanks to the 50 percent wider track at the rear and independent wheel suspension instead of a rigid axle, the cornering behavior is worlds better than in the first prototype. You can really dash around corners really fast, as a slalom attempt on the disused airfield in Dübendorf shows. For a more comprehensive judgment we would of course have to move the Microlino 2.0 a little longer. And whether it will revolutionize city mobility, as its makers hope, remains to be seen. After all, it costs three times as much as a good e-bike (from CHF 14,990). On the other hand, many of us also have a laptop, an iPad and a smartphone. And compared to this world, the Microlino would probably correspond to the iPad.
