The LEVA-EU member’s founders are emerging into the hospitality sector with Micro Rent, a service which provides the microcar on a B2B rental basis. They answered questions about the Microlino as they introduce this new venture.
Brothers Oliver and Merlin Ouboter helped their father, Wim, develop the Microlino microcar light electric vehicle. They realised it was going to exceed their expectations after they presented its first prototype in Geneva, which resulted in them receiving over 500 reservations.
When asked about what many people don’t understand about sustainable mobility, Oliver stated that electrification is the correct path, but smaller vehicles for daily trips offer the most benefits for sustainable travel. He adds that less energy, smaller batteries and less of everything frees up space in cities where there is a lack of space.
Micro Rent bringing Microlino into hospitality
Oliver explains that it’s hard for people to change their regular habits in regards to mobility, but when on holiday they are more open to new experiences, like testing a new vehicle category.
Microlino’s CMO, Merlin, described how the B2B rental channel will be used not just for revenue but also as a brand building tool.
“Our core marketing tool has always been the Microlino itself. It has massive viral potential. With Micro Rent, we take that to the next level. The car becomes a recognizable icon for the hotels. The guest gets a memory. The hotel gets an identity. We get the best kind of test drive there is.”
Microlino Italia partners with Nexity Italia
The latest news about Micro Rent comes as Microlino Italia announces its partnership with Nexity Italia as part of its “Live big, move with the small” campaign.
Effective from 1 June to 31 July, nine Mirari Residences apartments in San Donato Milanese will be offered with a free Microlino, enabling new residents to benefit from compact, sustainable mobility.
Since May 2026, in Swiss glacier regions, the LEVA-EU member has been donating 1% of the value of each Microlino sold to help the charity GlaciersAlive with their glacier conservation work.
Swiss brand Microlino emphasises the importance of glaciers of being natural reservoirs, climate indicators, and fragile ecosystems, which are becoming increasingly threatened by climate change.
It joined forces with non-profit organisation GlaciersAlive to convert awareness into concrete impact.
The company has announced its initiative to aid glacier regions in Switzerland, which includes Bernese Oberland to Uri, Valais, Graubünden and Ticino.
Effective from May 2026, it pledges to donate 1% of the value of each vehicle sold in selected Swiss glacier regions to aid glacier protection.
The company summarised that it wanted to make a visible contribution to protecting one of Switzerland’s most significant natural landscapes. It notes that sustainable mobility is not just about moving through cities but also taking responsibility for preserving the world around us.
It has been announced that the LEVA-EU member’s microcar is the ambassador vehicle for Benedikt Wechsler, Switzerland’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO. This is a milestone moment for the brand, with an official CD plate signifying a visual representation of diplomacy and responsibility to the world.
As part of his role, Benedikt Wechsler will be driving the light electric vehicle through one of the world’s most iconic urban landscapes, Paris in France.
Microlino states that the Microlino having an official CD plate “marks a quiet but meaningful shift in modern representation.”
At a time when environmental protection and innovative mobility are having an ever-increasing importance on a global scale, the Permanent Delegate’s transport choice is significant. The brand expresses that with Weschler opting for the Microlino, a highly compact, innovative and efficient sustainable vehicle, he is boldly showing responsibility in modern leadership, demonstrating that prestige doesn’t need excess.
Microlino, Minimal and Lime will participate in the leading micromobility conference in Berlin from June 2-3, where they will be sharing their perspectives on last-mile delivery, microcars and shared micromobility.
Micromobility Europe is a globally renowned industry event which revolves around the promotion and encouragement of small vehicles that help shift citizens away from car dependence.
The 2026 line-up features a range of stakeholders, including industry professionals, city officials, as well as the following LEVA-EU members who will be speaking at the event:
Firstly on June 2nd, Patrick Bion, Co-Founder and CEO of Minimal will be outlining how micromobility is changing last mile delivery.
Later on June 2nd, Oliver Ouboter, Co-Founder and COO of Microlino will be taking part in a panel discussion about microcars and light utility vehicles, and the challenges of regulating the space between bikes and cars.
On June 3rd, Lime’s Senior Public Affairs Manager, Alice Pleasant, is participating in a panel discussion about improving shared micromobility in London and the broader UK market.
The full programme of the event can be accessed on the Micromobility website.
Wim Ouboter, founder and CEO of LEVA-EU member Micro Mobility Systems Ltd, is viewed by many as a pioneer in modern micromobility, having innovated the Micro Scooter in the 90s. He was interviewed by the Micromobility podcast, where he outlined the journey from the Micro Scooter to the Microlino and discussed regulation, manufacturing, pod cars, and why LEVs are the future of urban mobility.
Micro Mobility Ltd’s scooters
In the latest episode of the Micromobility Podcast, Ouboter was interviewed by Prabin Joel Jones, where he spoke about the modern kick scooter he invented in 1997, from needing transportation to try and find a late night bratwurst, with him thinking the car or bicycle would not be suitable for his mission, but rather a more compact transportation mode that’s agile for getting around.
The Micro Scooter sold 80,000 units a day at its peak, and the Razor scooter sold 5 million units in 6 months in the USA. Then when the kick scooter boom collapsed, with more than 300 manufacturers also producing kick scooters, Ouboter started to produce more scooters, with the company diversifying across 7 categories in 80 countries, which gave him a revenue base for the innovation of another groundbreaking micromobility solution, the Microlino, which has since been a key reference point for serious conversations about microcars.
The Microlino
Inspired by the fun and compact bubble cars from the 1950s, Ouboter wanted to involve his sons Oliver and Merlin in his next micromobility venture.
From innovating the Microlino, Ouboter believes that 95% of urban trips can be completed with microcars instead of full-sized cars.
He deliberately choose to create a L7 quadricycle category vehicle instead of the L6 lighter version, as an L7 light electric vehicle can replace the conventional car for most trips, with its ability to travel up to 90 km per hour. However, the Microlino can be sold as an L6 that’s converted to L7 specification with a new number plate, and a software update, thanks to Ouboter carrying the logic of needing long-lasting upgradeable hardware for his products.
The reasons behind the cost of a Microlino
Ouboter explains that the light electric vehicle uses the same production method used for conventional cars, unibody stamped steel construction, which is in contrast to Microlino’s nearest competitors in the L6 category who adopt tubular frames with plastic bodywork which is normally manufactured in lower-cost locations. The base structure cost difference is approximately 2,500 euros before the addition of a battery or electric component.
Its battery options offered across three different sizes add more to the cost.
The company offers a full in-house painting line, which can produce any colour a customer requires, a service which carries higher operational costs than a one-coloured plastic shell design.
Ouboter states that its design concept is targeted at those wanting to make a good “bella figura” impression, and are willing to the pay the cost of the unique cutting-edge sustainable design that it represents.
What’s next for the Microlino design
Ouboter shared that there is a new hybrid version being developed in China, with costs for components such as motors, gearboxes and drivetrain elements being approximately half the equivalent in Europe.
In the Microlino factory in Turin, Italy, there are limited edition and co-branded versions being produced (including automotive partners), as well as more affordable Chinese-manufactured versions that will be sold alongside them. Assembly will be done in target markets, which may include the United States, allowing local assembly to manage tariff exposure.
Ouboter’s proposed solution to microcar regulatory hurdles
In terms of vehicle categories, the microcar sits inside the L vehicle category which also comprises of vastly different vehicles such as two-wheeled mopeds and heavy quadricycles. These implications are practical and commercially damaging.
For example, in Brussels, L6-category vehicles are banned from tunnels, because mopeds are banned.
Rewards frameworks are available for conventional low-emission passenger vehicles, but not the smaller, more sustainable microcar models
For example, the Swiss CO2 law gives emissions credits to passenger cars, but the microcar is not included.
Ouboter is challenging this legally with a renowned Swiss lawyer, emphasising that microcars like Microlino are passenger cars, so should be provided access to these credits.
Ouboter’s proposal to officials is to introduce regulatory changes on a trial of 5 years, and if any problems arise, the changes could be revised or withdrawn. He explains that waiting for the full cycle for accommodating new vehicle categories, results in the market moving without clarity that could accelerate it.
A global overview and what’s next on the horizon for Micro Mobility Systems Ltd
Its customer base is mainly European, but its scooter business is operating in 80 countries and has microcar markets emerging outside of Europe, with 10 vehicles operating in the Middle East, and the addition of a customer in Uruguay. The company is also currently evaluating the Indian market by testing components there.
The company is developing a new Microlino vehicle platform that carries SUV visual references, while remaining true to the microcar’s size and weight. The next micro pod car is being engineered to be used as a golf cart, delivery or short-range military-use vehicle.
The Microlino Turin factory of 80-90 employees is already working as a contract manufacturer for other companies requiring production runs of 500-1,000 vehicles.
It has also been announced that the Co-Founder of Tesla, Martin Eberhard, will join the Microlino team.
In regards to the scooter business, after self-funding the development of the Microlino, the company is looking for external investment for its next phase.
Ouboter ends the podcast episode by highlighting the need for the microcar to receive more government support as a sustainable mobility option, emphasising that they use approximately 60% less material in production than a standard vehicle and consume proportionally less energy per kilometre, when being used.
As well as tackling the regulatory hurdles from vehicle categorisation, Ouboter explains that government support for improving city infrastructure to make light electric vehicles more accessible to society is needed, with the inclusion of small parking spaces, simple and flexible charging, and park-and-ride spaces at train stations.
The LEVA-EU member participated in Milan Design Week, where it unveiled sophisticated customisations of its unique microcar as part of its collaborations with My Style Bags, Luisa Beccaria, and Etereo. The occasion was an excellent showcase for sustainable mobility meeting elegant design.
Firstly, the brand joined forces to present the Microlino My Style Bags Limited Series, a co-branding project that showcases a fusion of automotive innovation with artisanal craftsmanship.
It involves a reinterpretation of the iconic Microlino 90, combined with the elegance of My Style Bags, where the owner’s initials can be embroidered on travel bags, and echoed on the microcar’s bodywork.
Microlino also introduced its partnership with Italian lifestyle brand, Luisa Beccari, with a dreamy, floral-themed microcar demonstrating urban mobility meeting design excellence.
Also during Milan Design Week, from 22 to 24 April 2026, Microlino Italia announced its collaboration with boutique architectural firm Etereo. For the occasion, it offered test drives with 5 Etereo customised Microlinos, enabling interested parties to for explore Milan in compact style.
The LEVA-EU member was interviewed by BILANZ about the big hurdles and lack of subsidy support that microcar and quadricycle companies are experiencing in Europe, and about its legal plans to tackle them.
In its article, the Swiss business publication questions how the European Commission is aiming to encourage more support for climate action, by providing generous assistance to large electric vehicle companies, while not supporting companies producing smaller and lighter, and therefore more sustainable models.
It recently created the new vehicle category, M1e, which encourages and rewards electric car manufacturers to innovate smaller models, which are still considerably large at a length of 4.2 meters.
“That’s not a small car, that’s an SUV,” says Co-Founder of Microlino, Merlin Ouboter, who questions why the European government is supporting vehicles of this larger-sized vehicle category.
The L7e vehicle category, which includes smaller vehicles such as quadricycles and microcars like the Microlino, receives relatively little government support, despite them offering significant benefits for advancing zero-emission and climate goals. Their lightweight, space-efficient designs also help address the growing problem of congestion in city centres.
The benefit gap for M1e and L7e manufacturers
Manufacturers of the M1e category receive a regulatory boost by receiving higher emission credits for producing their vehicles in the EU, which helps them comply with EU-mandated targets more easily, therefore decreasing the risk of fines. The European Commission has also frozen standards for 10 years, giving companies long-term investment certainty as it helps them to keep prices below €20,000.
The inconsistency is evident, with L7e micromobility companies producing vehicles emitting fewer emissions than the above category, yet are not given access to the awards and benefits of doing so, receiving no premiums, support or certificates.
Microlino fighting against the hurdles
Microlino’s Wim Outboter, along with his sons Merlin and Oliver, is legally fighting against the injustice with lawyer Cordelia Bähr, who has taken Swiss “climate seniors” to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and has been previously included in Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people.
“We’re being discriminated against,” states Wim Ouboter.
He emphasises that many average commuting distances and speeds can be done with smaller vehicles like microcars.
“There’s no need for an SUV with just one person.” Ouboter adds, as he notes that he has only witnessed head-shaking from government offices, after having had discussions with Member of Swiss Federal Council, Albert Rösti and appropriate federal officials three times.
An example of the injustice has been highlighted when reviewing clean-air business, with a well-known global electric car manufacturer reportedly having generated $11 billion from selling CO₂ certificates, which equates to approximately a third of the company’s total profits.
Lighter electric vehicle companies like Microlino can not receive this type of access to markets, as their products do not come under any category of passenger car.
Ouboter explains that if manufacturers of smaller vehicles received the same rights as producers of larger vehicles, prices could decrease and increase competitiveness. He explains that in the current scenario, innovation for the light electric vehicle (LEV) sector is not being supported, as it faces numerous obstacles from the European Commission.
Obstacles in Europe have encouraged production to move to China
The European Commission’s stance on supporting LEVs has come at a high price for Microlino. Although Italy has the capabilities for producing microcars, it doesn’t have the political backbone for genuine support.
Ouboter notes that moving its production to China has been very positive for the company, as he highlights that there will be a second production line for a new model, which it is aiming to decrease the price for from €13,000 to €12,000.
Conclusion
To summarise, the current inconsistency of benefits that M1e and L7e vehicle manufacturers receive questions the credibility of Europe’s climate policy. It has led to questions about whether the European Commission’s Green Deal is a genuine promise to combat climate change, or if it’s more of a safety net for the automotive industry.
A photoshoot of the LEVA-EU member’s customised one-off Microlino ‘Tributo Porsche 917K Le Mans’ has been published on social media, as a visual representation of the brand’s Custom program, which invites customers to designate a specific design for their Microlino.
Shared by Microlino’s France manager, Yannick Boulch, the Microlino Porsche 917 Tribute captures a special moment of “where electric mobility meets a historic racing livery”.
Being shot in the Italian city of Turin, the special model conveys a blend of heritage and innovation, and Microlino’s design ambitions in elevating personalised light electric vehicle transportation.
The Founder and CEO of LEVA-EU member Micro, Wim Ouboter, is interviewed by Entrepreneur Mirror about his perspective on what’s next for compact mobility as he questions why single-occupancy commuters require large SUVs for short commuting trips. He also reflects on his unconventional beginnings and breakthrough milestones.
Ouboter stated that due to his dyslexia, he found education difficult, but had a “vision to see things others could not see”. His trailblazing vision of urban mobility began in 1997, when he developed and tested a prototype for months, which eventually became the foldable scooter that launched in Europe and USA, redefining a new movement in urban transportation.
He described a milestone moment when his vision became a global revolution:
“In 1999 we went up from 500 workers to 15,000 workers in China to produce in three factories my idea of the Kickboard and the Micro Scooter. Seeing this volume with 80,000 Micro Scooters leaving every day the factory for the world was incredible.”
The future of urban mobility
When questioned about his perspective on the latest technologies or shifts that he expected to change in the industry, Ouboter stated:
“New mindset to think smaller. Microlino is the perfect product for downsizing and not using an SUV for every short trip with one person inside. We also call this the next ‘Tesla’ when it will come to disruption and market potential.”
In the interview Ouboter proudly reflected on the evolution of diversifying Micro’s products across various compact mobility solutions, from scooters, to kickboards to electric microcars.
“If you look into our Micro Brand Book, you will see our wide innovation for products. Now we concentrate on the Microlino in different varieties.”
The full interview can be accessed on the Entrepreneur Mirror website.
