Artega Karo-Isetta, the electric bubble car coming to Europe

You’ve surely had the chance at some point to see an Isetta, a city car shaped like an egg that became popular in Europe in the mid-1950s. In fact, it was a model that helped BMW stay on the market during a difficult decade in Europe. Now, almost 70 years after it became popular, the Isetta is returning to the market, and it does so, of course, as a battery electric vehicle built by Artega, a company specialized in boutique vehicles that has embraced electric mobility.

It is a two-seater car, designed entirely for the city, which will not have spectacular characteristics, but will allow its occupants to get around urban environments with ease. No emissions, no racing, and above all, no parking problems. The shape of the car recalls the original Isetta, and its electric motor will make it a very suitable option for driving in the city.

The Artega Karo-Isetta has a single door, located at the front, which includes the instrument cluster, the steering wheel and the pedals. It will come in two versions, Intro and Edition, which will have two battery pack options. The first will have a range of 150 kilometres, while the second will offer 200 kilometres of range.

The battery can be charged with a standard charger in four hours, and if a Wallbox is used, that time can be reduced to 60 minutes. The top speed it can reach is 50 km/h, which is very suitable for urban driving. The maximum load it can carry is 200 kg, so we can forget about moving house with it.

According to the company, this vehicle will go on sale at a price of 17,995 euros for the entry-level version in Germany, while the version with the higher-capacity battery will cost 21,995 euros, quite competitive prices. They also report that there are more than 15,000 firm orders, and to reserve one you must pay a deposit of 2,500 euros within a week of reserving. Deliveries will take place in 2021, the year it enters production.

To avoid problems, the company has secured the reservations, so that if there were any production problem and the car were not built, the buyer’s reservation would be secured and the money would be refunded.