Low-Mass Urban Microcars for the Emerging Vehicle Markets of Megacities

Abstract

For rapidly growing vehicle markets, small, low-mass vehicles show promise. New regulatory norms that take into account the differing operating environments and demands of these vehicles are needed. The potential for such vehicles to meet the demands of consumers and transportation systems in emerging markets—particularly in dense megacities, initially as commercial last-mile transportation and more broadly for private automobile consumers—is explored. A proposal for a regulatory template for these urban microcars considers potential energy, emissions, and safety impacts, borrowing features from the low-speed vehicle category in the United States and the L5e motor tricycle and L7e heavy quadricycle norms in the European Union.