The arrival of the Microlino made us curious, time for a test with 45km and 90km/h cars.
Why on earth did you bring these 4 'cars' to the editorial office and make a video with them? Firstly, because we had never done this before. And secondly, with the arrival of the Microlino on the Dutch market, we were curious about the (driving license) rules surrounding this mischievous newcomer.
45km of cars on main lines
You are forgiven if you do not have a clear picture of the regulations surrounding 45km cars. We will list it point by point for you.
- 45 km cars or 'moped cars' are in the L6 category (maximum 350 kg with an engine that delivers a maximum of 4 kW)
- For this you must have the AM (50cc/scooter) driver's license, which includes 45 km cars.
- You can ALSO take lessons and drive a 45 km car, that is called the AM4 driving license, in which case you are NOT allowed to drive a scooter.
- You must be at least 16 years old to have this driver's license.
- You are only allowed to sit there with 2 people.
- No health declaration is required for an AM driving license, so if you do not pass the eye test due to age, for example, they will take away your driving license B, but not your AM driving license
- If your driver's license has been revoked for, for example, an alcohol violation, your AM driver's license will also be revoked.
- You don't pay road tax for a 45 km car.
- You park in a parking space and you just have to pay for it, so don't park it on the sidewalk.
- 45km cars are 'slow traffic', so wherever you see a sign 'closed to slow traffic', you are also not allowed to drive your 45km car
- You are NOT allowed to drive on the cycle path with a 45 km car
- You are allowed to drive 45 km/h within built-up areas unless otherwise indicated.
So the application of a 45 km car is already clear. You drive this if you are EITHER not yet 18, OR if you no longer have a driving license B, OR if you live in Amsterdam and simply wanted an extra parking permit.
We need to explain the latter.
Amsterdam parking scheme for 45km cars
There is a trial in Amsterdam that will last until July 1, 2024. You can apply for a permit for an emission-free moped (such as the Opel Rocks Electric and the Ligier Myli) for €252.48 per six months. This permit allows you to park anywhere in Amsterdam where paid parking applies. So just park in the parking spaces.
If you know the parking rates in Amsterdam, you know that this is quite an attractive offer. And there was no difficulty in allocating the permits. You can simply apply for it in addition to the parking permit for your normal car. There was room for 3,000 permits. There is no room for these extra 3,000 microcars in Amsterdam itself, but they don't care about that at city hall.
No one knows yet what will happen after July 1… The Silence 90 km/h and the Microlino are therefore NOT eligible for this scheme. But of course they would fit in perfectly, literally and figuratively.
So what is the Microlino?
Yes, that Microlino, inspired by the BMW Isetta, but now electric. What does that fall under? Well the Microlino is an L7e vehicle. Another vehicle category with its own special features. Intended for quads, both the Silence and the Microlino fit into this category. We will also explain this category for you point by point
- You can drive an L7e vehicle with a B driver's license; you must be at least 18 years old
- The vehicle may weigh a maximum of 600 kg and have a top speed of 90 km/h
- There is no MOT obligation for L7e vehicles
- You are only allowed to sit there with 2 people.
- The power may be a maximum of 15 kW
- You can drive on all roads where a 'normal' car is also allowed to drive, including on the highway.
- You can park in the normal parking spaces, you just have to pay for that
- You do not pay road tax for an L7E vehicle. It is not yet clear how this will change in 2025.
- An L7E vehicle is NOT eligible for the EV subsidy for private individuals (SEPP)
- Matters regarding addition are not yet clear. Both Microlino and Silence Nederland indicated that you must consult your accountant for this. Yes, that is indeed not a satisfactory answer.
Roughly speaking, apart from the higher top speed, there are few advantages of an L7E (Microlino / Silence 90 km) over an L6 (Opel Rocks Electric, Ligier Myli). Unless cities like Amsterdam include them on the list of 'good vehicles', on which the bicycle has mainly featured until now.
What did we drive?
We had 4 models in test, as mentioned, 2x a 45km copy and 2x a 90km copy. We start with the 45km copies.
- Category: L6e
- Driving license: AM (moped)
- Top speed: 45 km/h
- Driving range (according to WMTC method): 75 km with 5.4 kWh battery
- Price: from 8,699 euros, including VAT
- Category: L6e
- Driving license: AM (moped)
- Top speed: 45 km/h
- Driving range (according to WMTC method): 63 km with 4.1 kWh battery, 123 km with 8.3 kWh battery and 192 km with 12.1 kWh battery (our test model)
- Price: from 14,495 to 23,420 (our test model) including VAT
The Silence S04 90km/h that we tested is also available in a 45km version. the format is identical. Only battery and motor have a different output.
- Category: L6th or L7th
- Driving license: AM (motorcycle) or B (car)
- Top speed: 45 or 90 km/h
- Driving range (according to WMTC method): 45 km/h version: 175 km with 11.2 kWh battery, 90 km/h version: 149 km with 11.2 kWh battery
- Price: from 15,999 to 16,999 euros, including VAT
- Category: L7e
- Driving license: B (car)
- Top speed: 90 km/h
- Driving range (according to WMTC method): 91 km with 6 kWh battery, 177 km with 10.5 kWh battery and 230 km with 10.5 kWh battery
- Price: from 17,990 to 22,990 euros (our test sample), including VAT
- Designed in Zurich, produced in Turin with 80% European parts
Experiences?
Be sure to watch the video in which we put all four models through their paces. The weather gods were not immediately kind to us because we had to deal with winter showers during our test drive. It then turns out that the weight limit for these models means that things like ABS and traction control are not (or cannot be) standard.
So pay attention in really wet/slippery conditions, but this also applies to alternatives such as the e-bike and the scooter. At least we were dry.
The climate control is one point where the models differ from each other. The Opel is by far the cheapest in this test, these seats are also spartan compared to the other models. And the heating/ventilation also has a hard time in humid weather conditions. You have to turn everything on full and actually roll up the windows to be able to look outside at all. Something to be wary of.
The Ligier even has air conditioning and seat heating, so you will be the most comfortable there of the four. In the Microlino, tall people have to compromise a bit in terms of space and getting in and out, and if you are the size of Wouter and Martijn, you cannot actually sit next to each other with 2 people. The ventilation must also be good to keep the windows dry on the inside.
In terms of range, you can expect the most from the Ligier of the 45km cars. 100KM should be possible, but unfortunately you can't achieve that with the Opel. There it is really ready after about 50-70km, depending on the temperature.
The Silence has a novelty in both 45 and 90 km versions, because you can remove the batteries from the car and take them with a built-in rolling system to the place where you want to charge them. There is a battery on both the left and right and they are charged and discharged simultaneously while driving. The same battery can also be found in the Silence Motorscooters that Wouter previously rode in Barcelona.
Now you are of course also curious whether we have taken these models onto the highway. The answer is yes. A few trips on the A20 with the Microlino went well. You have to keep in mind that you have the speed of a truck but not the size. The Microlino does not react very skittish at 'top speed' to wind or steering input. Compare it with a first generation Smart on the highway. You didn't have to spend too much time at the wheel there either.
The Silence has a similar steering character, but it evokes more questioning looks from fellow drivers due to its '45km look'. And in addition to those looks, there were also some light signals and bells and fingers pointing to foreheads… In the Microlino you mainly get thumbs up.
As mentioned, watch the video for our findings. Here we conclude with: it is clear for whom a 45km is suitable. The 90 km/h Microlino has the favorability factor for people who fit into it. In our opinion, other L7e vehicles will still need help from (local) authorities before we really encounter them on the street regularly.
This article Microcars test: from 9 to 23,000 euros first appeared on Autoblog.nl.
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