Chinese electric vehicle brands led by BYD are winning over European customers with sleek, high-tech models at competitive prices. Now, a startup is looking to muscle in on a more modest market: microcars.
Linktour Automotive’s two new ‘Alumi’ all-electric models — the L6e and L7e — measure just over 2.6 meters in length and have top speeds of 45 kilometers per hour and 90 kph, respectively. The two-door vehicles are technically motorized quadricycles, meaning they’re exempt from the European Union’s EV import tariffs set in place last year.
Even with the duties, Chinese EV-makers are carving out a growing share of the European market by leveraging their lower-cost manufacturing to keep selling prices reasonable. Expanding overseas is a priority for an increasing number of them as fierce competition and a crackdown on aggressive discounting at home weighs on their sales outlook.
