With a lot of money from Berlin, electromobility is actually slowly gaining momentum.

But at the lower end, and thus in the troubled cities, little of the boom in battery cars is being received.

The Swiss kickboard king Wim Ouboter wants to change that with his two sons Wim and Oliver, he is planning a charming two-seater at the end of the year that will make a Smart Fortwo an overpriced giant for prices starting at around 12,500 euros.

The Swiss, who earn their money by selling more than 1.5 million scooters for urban hipsters every year, use an old recipe that apparently also meets modern tastes. Because the Microlino, which has already been pre-ordered more than 20,000 times, even if only without obligation, is inspired primarily by the legendary Isetta, which BMW had tens of thousands built in Italy in the 1950s and 1960s.

The concept is of course not new. Rather, the Blechzwerg has been haunted at trade fairs for five years, has now been completely redesigned, especially for the benefit of safety, and with Tazzari and Artega, the Swiss have already worn out two designated production partners. But now it should be ready soon: They want to show the production car at the IAA in Munich, shortly afterwards the first deliveries are to begin, and from 2022 they want to put up to 10,000 Microlinos a year on the 13-inch wheels in Italy .

Where a single cylinder from the BMW motorcycle range used to purr, however, an electric motor is now purring, and instead of a maximum of 13, there are now 27 HP in the vehicle registration - more is not included because the Microlino is by law not a car, but a light vehicle of the L7E category . That's why he doesn't need ESP or airbags, which will soon be available as options. That is why it cannot weigh more than 450 kilos without a battery. And that's why it doesn't go faster than 90 km / h, which feels much faster in the kissing ball. Especially when the sliding windows are fully open and the folding roof reveals a view of the sky after a flick of the wrist. Especially since the Microlino is primarily made for the city, where it swims quickly in traffic,is always up front at the traffic lights and outperforms everyone else in narrow old town streets or when looking for a parking space.

But the Swiss are not only moving with the times when it comes to the drive, but also when it comes to the ambience: on the outside, an LED strip on the front dares to venture out, like on the ID models from VW, and who once around the free-standing steering column to the wide one , continuous bench, sits in the middle of the here and now. Finally, behind the steering wheel, there is a digital cockpit, and instead of switches there is a small touchscreen on the door handle that stretches across the entire bow.

An eye-catcher from the outside, modern interior, a lively driving experience and after four hours at the socket enough power for up to 200 kilometers in the maximum 14.4 kWh battery - this is how the Microlino becomes the first model with which the small cars are finally big could come out. Because it's not nearly as expensive as the Smart, you sit more comfortably than in a Renault Twizzy, and it's much closer to a car than a Citroën Ami. But above all, the Isetta 2.0 has so much charm that you can hardly stop laughing. Not the driver because he feels like Dean Martin driving a Vespa with Audrey Hepburn through Rome, and not the passers-by because the Microlino arouses more cuddling longings than any other car since the rebirth of the Fiat 500.

However, sympathy is also required - especially if you decide to take a ride. Because a certain closeness is inevitable at only 2.50 meters long and 1.50 meters wide. It is quite possible that the new Isetta will therefore keep the old nickname and operate as a Knutschkugel.