SEAT launches Twizy-esque EV quadricycle

In an unusual move for a car manufacturer, Seat chose the MWC (Mobile World Congress) to show off its latest creation. However, the enormous technology show does make sense as a venue for several reasons. First, it’s in Barcelona, Seat’s home. And second, the vehicle they launched is certainly not a traditional car.

The Minimo is a one-plus-one tandem-seated quadricycle with an immediately obvious resemblance to Renault’s Twizy. However, another of its features underlines the choice of launch venue – it’s electric, of course, with a claimed range of 100km-plus, but the smart feature is its swappable under-floor battery pack, which allows its users to continue a journey within minutes rather than wait to recharge. An idea which has obvious possibilities, given suitable infrastructure, for all sizes of vehicle rather than just tiny urban mobility quads.

“The design of the Minimó shows our concept of urban mobility,” commented design director Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, “efficiency, quality value and cost reduction, combined with great vitality. The Minimó allows us to show that fun and style are not incompatible with electric vehicles and shared vehicles.”

At 2.5m long and just 1.24m wide, it takes up far less road space than a conventional car, though it rides on 17-inch wheels and is claimed to have an SUV-like driving position. It also has asymmetrical, upward-opening doors to facilitate entry and exit in tight spots.

In keeping with its launch venue it ticks all the techno boxes, with Google Assistant voice control running on Android Auto and Autonomous Level 4 capability – it is, say the firm, “the first specific vehicle for mobility services” which we take to mean that it’s designed to be shared. The autonomous service is apparently so it can come and pick you up, unmanned, and there’s some mention of the fact that without a rear passenger there’s plenty of luggage space, which will no doubt please future pizza delivery operatives.

Will we see it zipping around a nearby city soon? It’s officially described as a ‘prototype’, so the answer is probably not in the very near future. We’ll be taking a closer look in Geneva, and asking some pointed questions, so we may have more news then.