SAEDNEWS: Traffic and Time Shortages Have Made Urban Life Difficult — and a French Startup Has an Interesting Solution.
Life in cities is becoming increasingly difficult. Urban areas are more crowded, traffic is heavier, and pollution levels are rising — while residents are more stressed, impatient, and short on time. The Aemotion microcar aims to solve at least part of these problems.
The story began in 2014, when a French startup, inspired by the fact that the average European citizen wastes around 200 hours a year in traffic, created the first concept of what would eventually become the Aemotion prototype. Over more than ten years, the team developed seven prototypes before finally reaching the pre-production stage.
The production-ready version was completed late last year and officially unveiled earlier this year at the Viva Technology exhibition in Paris. While full technical details have not yet been published, the concept is clear: combine the advantages of a motorcycle and an electric car into a single vehicle optimized for urban mobility.
Aemotion is not limited to inner-city use. With a top speed reported between 115 and 120 km/h (the company has cited slightly different figures in different sources), it is also capable of driving on highways and expressways.
The company claims that the microcar is built like a real automobile and has successfully passed crash tests.
Aemotion is a four-wheeled electric vehicle that blends the narrow, agile nature of a motorcycle with the safety, stability, and weather protection of a car. In simple terms, it is a tilting, enclosed quadricycle.
It carries two passengers, but the rear seat is modular: folding it down creates between 150 and 200 liters of cargo space, enough for weekly shopping or two large suitcases.
Inside the cabin, automotive-grade safety features are evident, including:
Four-point seat belts for both seats
Energy-absorbing structural elements
EPP bumpers and interior padding, which according to the manufacturer “act like an airbag system, ready to absorb impact during a crash”
Instead of a traditional steering wheel, the vehicle is controlled with motorcycle-style handlebars. All required road equipment — headlights, taillights, brake lights, indicators, and mirrors — is integrated.
Power comes from a 45-horsepower electric motor (torque figures have not been disclosed), which should be sufficient for highway driving.
Energy is supplied by a fixed battery offering about 200 km of range per charge. Additionally, two optional removable batteries can be added, each providing an extra 70 km. With all three batteries installed, the total range can reach up to 340 km.
Aemotion is only 2.35 meters long and 79 cm wide at its widest point, making parking in tight urban spaces far easier than with a conventional car.
Its narrow width also allows it to move between lines of traffic, meaning you can keep moving when others are stuck — although traffic regulations for this vary by country.
Thanks to its patented tilting mechanism, the microcar can lean up to 35 degrees, maintaining stability and agility even at higher speeds in corners. With all three batteries, its estimated weight is between 230 and 250 kg.
The vehicle can be driven with a standard category B (car) license, although the manufacturer requires an additional 7 hours of training.
According to the production roadmap, the first deliveries are planned for 2026, with mass production scheduled for 2027, followed by potential expansion into global markets. The estimated price is expected to be between €20,000 and €25,000 (approximately $23,000 to $28,000).
Aemotion represents an ambitious attempt to rethink urban transportation — offering the efficiency of a motorcycle, the safety of a car, and the environmental benefits of electric mobility in one compact vehicle.
