Microlino

Why a Swiss electric vehicle maker is heading to court.

Small.Electric. Discriminated Against.

In Switzerland, there is a law that rewards car manufacturers for selling electric vehicles — they are allowed to pool these into a shared CO₂ fleet average and thereby avoid penalty payments. The Microlino, despite driving just as electrically and transporting people just as effectively as any regular electric car, is excluded from this system — solely because it weighs less than 450 kg and therefore falls into a different technical vehicle category.

This distinction has nothing to do with climate protection. The result: manufacturers of larger electric vehicles receive indirect government support, while Microlino does not — even though the Microlino consumes less energy per kilometre and requires fewer resources than any other electric car.

In our view, this is unconstitutional. The Swiss Constitution requires equal treatment, free competition, and efficient energy use. All three principles are violated by the current exclusion.

In late February 2026, we formally requested and received a contestable ruling from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. Building on this, we filed a complaint with the Federal Administrative Court on 8 June.

We are not only fighting for the Microlino — we are fighting to ensure that climate legislation actually rewards climate-friendly vehicles.

DOWNLOAD "Petition for a Contestable Ruling" submitted to the Federal Office of Energy (26 February 2026)

DOWNLOAD "Appeal Federal Administrative Court (8 June 2026)