Strange Vehicle Spotted Locally We spotted this vehicle in Berkeley this past week. It is an Electra Meccanica , one of a new breed of electric microcars that are gaining in popularity in Europe and Asia, although this one comes from nearby British Columbia. It is 10 feet long and 5 feet wide, that's 5.25' shorter and 1 foot narrower than a Tesla Model 3, yet is fast enough to be driven on freeways. Its curb weight is 1735 lbs, which is less than half of the weight of a Tesla 3 (3,648 to 4,250 lbs). With half of all trips in America being under three miles, what would El Cerrito be like if a good share of the automobiles on the streets of were replaced by vehicles this small? There are even smaller ones being manufactured in Italy, China, and Switzerland. The Swiss Microlino is 8.25 feel long and 4.8 feet wide, and weighs 1,179 lbs. The Microlino is limited in speed for local urban errands—25 to 30 mph. With these taking up less than half the length of a standard 8' x
