Microcars, popularly known as “license-free cars,” covered a very specific need in France, the country where they achieved greatest popularity several decades ago. They were an alternative for individual transportation in rural areas, where older people could move from town to town without needing a driving license. In its day it was a phenomenon similar to that which occurred in Italy with the APE, Piaggio's universal “motocar”.
At the end of the nineties, the main manufacturers of these vehicles urged the European authorities to unify and harmonize the regulations, giving rise to the categories of quadricycles (light and heavy) and tricycles. This facilitated the expansion of these vehicles, initially very focused on meeting the needs of an older public, who used them mainly for short trips in rural environments, so they practically lacked comfort or design elements or functionalities.
However, over time, its use evolved towards young people and adolescents in urban areas to make their daily trips in the absence of public transportation alternatives. Currently, its presence in our country is mostly limited to residential areas or urbanizations and localities with high purchasing power and a high percentage of single-family homes.
Due to their characteristics, these vehicles provide extra comfort, safety, autonomy and freedom to their users, making them a useful tool for those parents who are looking for mobility alternatives to public transportation for their children (since it does not exist in their area). or to other two-wheeled solutions - such as scooters, mopeds or scooters - (due to their danger and limitations in comfort, space or capacity).
The microcar market in our country is currently quite small, less than 2,500 units per year, when before the 2008 crisis it reached 10,000 and in Italy it exceeds 15,000 units per year. However, there are manufacturers such as Ligier Gruop, who continue to bet on the advantages of this type of accessible mobility. Leader in the light quadricycle market in Spain - with around 1,000 units registered in 2023 - of its Ligier and Microcar brands, the French firm is once again at the forefront of the micromobility sector with a very determined commitment to the sustainability of its operations and of its product range.
In this sense, the company (which has 80 agents and dealers in Spain and whose subsidiary in our country has been located in Terrassa since 2003) has taken a relevant step in its strategy to reduce emissions and respect the environment with the launch of the Myli with a new diesel engine, which meets the specifications of the Euro 5 PHASE 2 standard of the European Union one year before its mandatory application, on January 1, 2025.
The arrival on the market of this light quadricycle (L6e), which to date and since last summer was only sold with electric propulsion, marks the beginning of the renewal of the group's propulsion portfolio. In this way, the rest of the vehicles offered, such as the Ligier JS50 and JS60 and Microcar Dué Must, will have this innovative mechanics coinciding with the entry into force of European environmental regulations.
In order to capture this technological evolution, Ligier Group signed a strategic agreement with the Indian multinational Greaves, in charge of supplying the new diesel engine fitted to the Myli. This single-cylinder powertrain, with liquid cooling, BOSCH Common Rail electronic injection and electronic regulation, has a displacement of 499 cc, a power of 6 kW (about 8 HP) and a maximum torque of 26 Nm, one of the highest of its segment, with which it registers a consumption of just 3.1 liters per 100 km.
Developed exclusively for Ligier Group, the supplier has optimized the drivability, noise and vibrations of the engine to adapt it to the specific use of microcars, a mobility alternative accessible from the age of 15 with the moped license (AM) that it seeks to offer. functional and efficient vehicles with simple maintenance.
The new diesel Myli will begin to be delivered to Spanish customers next January with an offer of two finishes: the I.DEAL and the R.EBEL. The first incorporates, among other elements, electric windows, LED daytime running lights and full LED rear lights, and disc brakes; while the second, which is structured with two different design packs (Ultimate and X), has air conditioning, power steering and a multimedia system with a 10-inch touch screen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The sale price will be 12,990 euros for the Myli I.DEAL and 16,990 for the R.EBEL.
In the immediate future, the French group plans to reorient its business towards electric urban mobility for people and goods, so its commitment to electrification will be very strong, expanding its portfolio already in 2024 with the introduction in the Myli family of the heavy quadricycle (accessible with a B license from the age of 18), as well as a second light quadricycle. They will be followed by a third in 2025.
