This Is Zigy, an Electric Micro-Car Tailor-Made for City Life

Zigy is the brainchild of independent mobility designer Andrea Mocellin and engineering consultancy company Dexet Technologies, inspired by London's narrow and almost constantly-congested streets. If Mocellin's name rings a bell, it must be because of his work in personal city mobility, like the Revolve wheel, or because of his past collaborations with established marques like Ferrari, Audi, Maserati, or Alfa Romeo.

For his latest design, Mocellin is turning his attention to the bustling city life and how it could be improved to involve less pollution, less congestion, and a higher degree of convenience. His proposal is a win for the city and a win for the daily commuters, and it comes in the shape of a tiny four-wheeler named Zigy.

Just to be clear, Zigy is only a concept vehicle as of the time of this writing, but both partners are determined to make it into a reality, with help from a future partner. The timeline for that hasn't even been discussed as of now.

Zigy was conceptualized and designed as the perfect, tailor-made city vehicle that offers fast and reliable transportation, protection from the elements, and some storage space, all in a sustainable and attractive package. It's a study in urban mobility and how it might be approached with innovative solutions and some good ol'-fashioned outside-of-the-box thinking.

Mocellin approached the design from his personal observation that most cars that travel through London are SUV-sized vehicles with just one passenger onboard. Obviously, this isn't some groundbreaking observation – if you'll recall, it was the same argument ride-sharing platforms used when they first popped up on the scene, whether we're talking about services like Uber or two-wheel rental schemes.

For those people for whom the idea of sharing a vehicle isn't appealing, Mocellin proposes shrinking down their daily driver to the size of a Zigy.

Put differently, instead of driving a large and mostly unoccupied SUV around town all by themselves, taking up unnecessary space and spewing out fumes, Mocellin suggests jumping behind the wheel of a quad-like electric micro-car. What they'd lose in terms of comfort or personal space, they'd win in convenience, maneuverability, and a guilt-less conscience.

Zigy would be built on a modular thermoplastic composite frame by Dexet, with recycled carbon fiber and natural fibers used inside and out. It would be lightweight, at just 353 kg (778 lb), with seating for one person and a small storage compartment, perfect for a backpack, small bag, or one bag of groceries. It would also feature curved glass for the windshield, roof, and back window, offering protection from the elements and excellent visibility.

Most importantly, the Zigy would be very compact, at just 1.95 meters (6.4 feet) in length and 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) in width. This would allow for easy parking and excellent maneuverability – and access – on narrow and very crowded streets. The enclosed cabin would give it the upper hand on other lightweight options like trikes, cargo bikes, or e-bikes.

Now in the feasibility stage of development, the project includes a focus on aerodynamics. Mocellin and Dexet want the Zigy to be not only compact and lightweight, but also as aerodynamic as possible, so as to offer the best range possible. The current estimate of that, with a 12kW motor with 135 Nm (99.5 lb-ft) of torque, is of 160 km (99.4 miles) on a single charge.

Estimates also imagine the Zigy with a top speed of 77 kph (48 mph), which obviously would put it in an entirely different league than e-bikes – and even many micro-EVs designed exclusively for city use. There's no word yet on whether it would also integrate safety features to match the extra capacity for speed.

The first renders of the Zigy show it as an electric quadricycle with motorcycle-like handles for control, a sort of electric quad with an enclosed shell, and a single-access door. It would make no sense to put two doors on a single-seater.

The battery pack would be located under the floor of the vehicle, with the motor likely inside the rear hub. A wraparound edge-like section would integrate the front and rear lights, but there'd be lights built into the side mirrors as well.

Much like the Citroen My Ami and the Microlino, the Zigy would be targeted to the eco-conscious city dweller who wouldn't mind cramming into such a quad for the commute or to run daily errands on their own. Should it make it past the current development stage and into real life – and on city streets – it would probably be a hit with younger commuters.

Whether the Zigy will be able to "challenge existing assumptions about the aerodynamics, design, and efficiency of compact electric vehicles" and earn adopters from among the ranks of convinced SUV owners, is a riddle that only time will solve.