More than 60 years after the first Isetta went into production BMW re-imagines the micro car for the contemporary context.

Nimble, cheap and electric, the Esetta addresses the needs of the modern, urban car user. 

Austrian car designer Tony Weichselbraun has kept the original Isetta’s iconic shape and forward opening door but replaced the gasoline engine with an electric one. Weichselbraun has conceptualised the car to exist in a ‘car sharing’ network where the battery pack can be charged via induction hubs at various pickup/drop-off stations throughout a city, eliminating concerns over it’s limited range.

Structurally the main difference is in the wider spread of the vehicle’s back wheels, improving it’s balance and giving it a more solid appearance. Aesthetically the use of the striking red highlights on black is a quirky complement to it’s otherwise playful, almost toylike countenance, but the signature contours (and badge) clearly stamp it as a BMW.

The Esetta is only in the concept phase for the moment, but it, or others like it, are certain to become increasingly popular as demand for compact, economical and environmentally friendly transport increases.