A good number of electric micro-vehicles are now hitting the market, and they could soon find a positioning somewhere between ever larger cars and micromobility.

The introduction of electric quadricycles in Europe (following the example of KEI cars in Japan) looks to be an interesting opportunity to support the transition to more sustainable forms of transportation.

Analysis of the challenges associated with these vehicles, and their promotion as part of the transition to more sustainable mobility, are fully in line with the objectives of the European Union's Green Deal.

Heavy ev-quadricycles are small, very battery-efficient, require only a lightweight driving license, and are inexpensive, hence their growing popularity. Mainly intended for urban use, heavy quadricycles are actually useful in areas where there is little or no public transport.

But unlike "real cars", there are no safety stipulations and they cannot carry more than a driver and a passenger due to mass regulation. On the other side, “regular” BEVs (with “M1” homologation) are becoming very heavy and increasingly expensive, partly due to safety regulations (GSR2) and proto-regulations (Euro-NCAP).

How to address the need for small and light 4 passengers battery powered cars at a reasonable price? But what about on-board safety, which has recently received some bad press?

So the big question is what are the levers for action to guarantee the highest possible level of protection for the riders of these vehicles, generally designed to offer a lighter and more compact alternative to traditional cars?