Stellantis has just announced its entry into the world of tiny, affordable EVs. It’s calling the project the E-Car with the E standing for European, Emotion, Electric, or Environmental friendliness, take your pick.

The E-Car project aims to fit in between the established quadricycle class (think Citroen Ami or Fiat Topolino) and standard cars. Quadricycles are legally restricted to 30mph and can’t weigh more than 450kg – they’re particularly popular in France, where they can be driven from 14.

As such, while not aiming for exact parity, the E-Car project will likely be similar to the long-standing Japanese kei car class which restricts vehicles to maximum dimensions of 3.4m long and 1.48m wide with a maximum power output of 63hp.

Kei cars came about as a way to promote car ownership in post-war Japan, but they’re ideal for the tight urban sprawl of places like Tokyo where space is at a premium, plus drivers benefit from lower tax rates, cheaper insurance, and more affordable purchase prices.

The European Union is in the process of developing a new ‘M1E’ class of car that will be for electric cars under 4.2 metres long and it could take effect as early as the beginning of 2027. Unlike quadricycles, M1E class cars will still have to meet stringent safety regulations, but the aim is to promote locally built cars that cost below around €20,000. They won’t be quite as compact as kei cars – the Renault 5 is already shorter than four metres, for instance.

Stellantis expects production of its E-Cars to begin in 2028 at Alfa Romeo’s Pomigliano plant in Italy where the Fiat Panda is currently built. It’s expecting large production volumes too. With purchase prices expected to be low and insurance costs expected to be attainable for even young drivers, we think they’re probably right in that assumption. Stellantis brands Fiat, Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall will all no doubt be candidates for the new car. 

Honda’s kei-based Super-N is already on its way to the UK and features a host of intelligent design features to maximise the space in its diminutive chassis. But will anybody taller than Ginny be able to drive it comfortably? Stay tuned for our upcoming review.