Micro Machine for Mega Cities: The Zigy Takes on Urban Gridlock
Image Credit: Andrea Mocellin.
Nothing can prepare you for what you’re about to see, because I've got a tiny tale about a teensy vehicle that's aiming to make a big dent in the urban jungle. It's called the Zigy, and it's an electric microcar designed for those solo commutes in bustling cities.
What, another electric microcar? Haven't we seen this before? You're not wrong. But the Zigy is a bit different. It's a single-seater, designed for those lone wolves who navigate the concrete canyons in their oversized SUVs. This little electric pod wants to take a bite out of the congestion pie.
Image Credit: Andrea Mocellin.
The Zigy is the brainchild of Italian designer Andrea Mocellin and engineering firm Dexet Technologies, the same folks who brought us the Revolve wheelchair. Inspired by the narrow streets of London, they figured, "Why not build a small, zero-emission vehicle tailored for city commuting?" Brilliant, isn't it?
Now, the Zigy is still in the conceptual stage, but the specs are intriguing. It's a mere 6.4 ft (1.95 m) long, 3.6 ft (1.1 m) wide, and 5.3 ft (1.6 m) tall. It's lighter than a wet cat, weighing in at just 778 lbs (353 kg). It boasts a turning circle of 23 ft (7 m), making it perfect for those tight city turns. Plus, it's got a decent-sized trunk for all your groceries. And you can park it on your porch or under the stairs.
The Zigy is powered by an electric motor that can reach up to 21 kW when needed, producing a maximum torque of 99.5 pound-feet (135 Nm). To put that number into perspective - The Kawasaki Ninja 1000 manages to squeeze out just over 81 pound-feet of torque (111 Nm) out of its 142 horsepower in-line four. Let that sink in for a moment.
Back to Zigy - it can hit a top speed of 48 mph (77 km/h), which is more than enough for city driving. And with a range of 100 miles (160 km), you can zip around town all day without worrying about running out of juice. Look - that’s nearly twice as fast as the Citroen Ami, with double the range. And Ami calls itself a car.
Sure, the Zigy is a single-seater, so you'll have to leave your friends at home. The design is still being finalized, but the renders show a motorcycle-style handlebar, which I think is pretty cool. There's no word on when the Zigy will hit the streets, but the team is actively seeking partners to take it from concept to reality. If all goes well, we could see this micro machine zipping around European cities as an L7e vehicle (or LSV in the US) in the near future.
Image Credit: Andrea Mocellin.
So, there you have it, my friend. The Zigy, the microcar designed for the mega city. Is it a quirky concept? Absolutely. But is it a practical solution to urban congestion? Well, I won’t know until I try one out. But one thing's for sure, I can't wait to see it in action. There’s a clear trend emerging, and while our SUVs are getting bigger and bigger every year, there are more micro cars popping up on the scene. If they carry on like that, we’ll be driving them sooner than we can imagine. And that will be a revolution.
