Actually, the electric microcar Microlino from micro-scooter inventor Wim Ouboter and his sons Oliver and Merlin should have whizzed through our inner cities three years ago. However, a legal dispute with the German producer massively delayed the start of sales – at the end of the year the further developed Microlino 2.0 should definitely roll to us (read everything about the Microlino 2.0 here).
Before the cool smooch in the style of the old BMW Isetta can even be officially bought, the Stuttgart (D) -based vehicle engineer Vladimir Matijasevic and the automotive design artist Dejan Hristov have more ideas for the Microlino – they want the Küsnachter retro runabout convert it into a real off-roader! This is reported by the German trade magazine “Auto, Motor und Sport”.
With four electric motors for all-wheel drive
The shape of the Microlino is completely retained during the conversion. In order to survive in hard terrain, however, it is given a completely new platform. The wheelbase has grown massively to 1.89 meters, while the battery (up to 215 km range) is still positioned between the axles. The highlight of the off-road concept: The 16-inch wheels are equipped with wheel hub motors, which enables wheel-selective torque control and the Microlino even becomes an all-wheel drive! The developers are also planning a version with only one driven axle.
The only problem: The clearly grown wheels have no place in the tiny wheel arches of the original vehicle. The solution: The wheels move outwards, which also increases the track width significantly. Although this restricts the maneuverability of the off-roader in the city, it ensures more stability in the field – and thus more fun, the developers emphasize.
Market opportunities are uncertain
To ensure that the occupants are optimally protected when riding over gravel and rubble, a roll cage is provided that is firmly anchored to the new platform. The entire body is also connected to the base via rubber buffers in order to compensate for dynamic loads. In addition, slope angles of 50 degrees and ground clearance of up to 26 centimeters are provided. Vladimir Matijasevic and Dejan Hristov have also thought of practical virtues: one piece of luggage can be attached to the left and right of the body.
The market opportunities of the off-road Microlino? At least rather low in the foreseeable future. In response to inquiries from Auto, Motor and Sport, the Ouboters stated that they had their hands full with the market launch of the basic model. Therefore, the implementation of the off-road variant is currently out of the question. But who knows what will happen once the Microlino has started up successfully. The two developers from Stuttgart already have specific ideas about prices: They have a price starting at 22,000 euros for the micro-off-roader. That might be fun for some fans.