Microlino boss hits out at Europe’s new small EV plans

The head of electric quadricycle brand Microlino has criticised planned incentives for a new class of small electric cars, warning they ignore the “most rational” emobility solutions.

Wim Ouboter, founder and CEO of Micro Mobility System, said plans to reward car makers for building smaller, more efficient EVs in Europe while ignoring the existing quadricycle market was a “clear contradiction”.

Under plans announced in December 2025, the European Commission is considering a new M1e class of city cars under 4.2 metres long. This would sit between the current M1 passenger car class and the L7e quadricycle class.

To encourage car makers to build vehicles for the new category, the Commission has proposed offering “super credits” towards fleet emissions targets. These would give manufacturers 1.3 credits per European-built M1e car rather than 1, allowing greater offsetting against more polluting vehicles.

In a strongly worded statement, Mirolino Italy, where the stylish two-seater is built, said the current proposals would reward large car makers with high CO2 emissions while ignoring the small-scale manufacturers already producing small, zero-emission vehicles.

It said that such an approach risked incentivising emobility while discouraging what it called “the most rational solutions from an environmental and urban perspective”.

It noted: “This is a clear contradiction: on one hand, there is a stated desire to incentivise affordable urban electric cars; on the other, the lightest and most efficient vehicles currently available on the European market are left out.”

The firm called for the L7e category to be included in any plans to incentivise European-made small cars. It said that this would not only support existing European manufacturing efforts but allow companies such as itself to trade green credits with other manufacturers.

It warned that without such inclusion operations such as its Turin manufacturing plant would be put at risk.

Ouboter commented: “Microcars are classified as L7e vehicles and therefore do not benefit from any incentives. This means that we are not receiving any subsidies, tax breaks, or CO2 credits. It is important to realise that while drivers of heavy electric SUVs or luxury cars benefit from tax breaks, Microlino buyers get nothing.”