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Benedikt Wechsler, Switzerland’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, drives his Microlino through Paris on March 25. <\/p>\n
Keystone \/ Alessandro Della Valle <\/p>\n
The entrepreneur behind the Micro scooter craze that took the world by storm is taking on the Swiss government over climate benefits that exclude his latest venture \u2013 the Microlino electric \u201cbubble car\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
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April 14, 2026 – 09:22\n<\/p>\n
\n Mercedes Ruehl in Zurich, Financial Times <\/p>\n
Wim Ouboter is contesting Switzerland\u2019s carbon trading regulations, arguing they unfairly exclude his two-seat electric vehicle (EV) from a system that financially benefits larger global rivals such as Tesla.<\/p>\n
Launched in 2022 by Ouboter\u2019s Micro Mobility Systems, the Microlino is an electric microcar inspired by the 1950s classic Italian Isetta and built in Turin, the historic heart of Italy\u2019s car industry.<\/p>\n
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Micro, which generates roughly CHF70 million ($87 million) in annual turnover, has ploughed profits from its scooter business into the bubble cars, several thousand of which have been sold across Europe.<\/p>\n
At the heart of the dispute is a technical distinction. Only vehicles classified as \u201cpassenger cars\u201d are included in Switzerland\u2019s emissions system, under which importers of petrol vehicles buy carbon credits from EV companies to meet fleet emissions targets.<\/p>\n
The Microlino is denied that benefit because it falls into the \u201cmotorcycle\u201d category, which is excluded from the regime.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels like the rules were written for big manufacturers, not for innovation,\u201d Obouter said, warning he could be forced to shift production to China if the rules did not change.<\/p>\n
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Swiss AI\n <\/p>\n
Swiss roads could see driverless vehicles within three years <\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
May 27, 2025 <\/p>\n
A recent Swiss law change has raised the possibility of automated vehicles operating in real-life conditions in around three years. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Read more: Swiss roads could see driverless vehicles within three years Court challenge<\/p>\n After several unsuccessful attempts to persuade the authorities to alter the regulations, Micro has requested a formal ruling from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy so it can challenge the classification policy in court.<\/p>\n Micro\u2019s legal effort is being led by Cordelia B\u00e4hr, the lead lawyer behind a landmark case at the European Court of Human Rights that resulted in a 2024 ruling that Switzerland\u2019s failure to cut greenhouse gas emissions could be considered a violation of citizens\u2019 rights.<\/p>\n B\u00e4hr told the FT there was no clear reason to exclude vehicles such as the Microlino, which \u201ccontribute to reducing emissions\u201d.<\/p>\n She added that the challenge could extend beyond national courts. Microlinos also miss out on EU supercredits for cars made in Europe, for example.<\/p>\n The government said the system was designed to target the largest sources of emissions and warned of the risk of \u201cweakening CO\u2082 regulations through cheap imports\u201d of smaller vehicle categories if they were included, as their emissions are not measured under the same standards.<\/p>\n Move to China?<\/p>\n For Ouboter, the dispute echoes earlier battles. His Micro scooters, conceived in Zurich in the late 1990s, became a global craze but were briefly restricted in markets such as Germany as regulators struggled to classify them.<\/p>\n As Europe wrestles with how to cut transport emissions, the challenge cuts to the heart of a broader debate over whether climate policies designed to promote EVs are favouring larger cars.<\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Swiss oddities\n <\/p>\n Penalties and peculiarities of the Swiss Highway Code <\/p>\n This content was published on <\/p>\n Feb 7, 2026 <\/p>\n The Swiss Highway Code reflects some magnificent obsessions typical of the Swiss mentality. <\/p>\n
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