A startup from Lyon captured the public’s attention at the Mondial de l’Auto in Paris with an original approach to urban mobility. The project is called Kiweeone electric mini-car for two people designed for car sharing. At first sight, Kiwee might seem like a car sharing vehicle like others already on the market, but its peculiarity lies in the possibility of attach to other similar vehicleslike the carriages of a train. This saves parking space in cities and gives operators the ability to move more vehicles in bulk, an advantage that could make fleet management much more efficient.
Kiwee’s car sharing system is based on the idea of optimizing the distribution of vehicles in stations. In fact, the coupling of vehicles allows them to be relocated quickly and in an orderly manner, thus solving one of the most common problems of car sharing: cars left in disorderly or obstructing positions. Also designed for contexts less served by transport, the Kiwee is ideal for rural areas, where a single charging station can support up to six cars.
The characteristics of the Kiwee
Designed for short trips, the Kiwee has aautonomy of approximately 60 km and one maximum speed of 45 km/hcharacteristics that make it useful for local routes or for the so-called “last mile” in urban and suburban areas. Furthermore, the Kiwee project follows eco-sustainability criteria: recyclable materials and circular production aim to reduce environmental impact.
With two seats and a moderate speed it is designed to move easily around the city. It has a load space of one cubic meter, ideal for small luggage, and compact dimensions (2,333.5 mm long, 1,500 mm wide and 1,764.3 mm high). Thanks to the fundraising campaign active on WiSEED, the production goal is 2026.
