Microlino Fighting for legal equality

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.

That is why, on 26 February 2026, we formally submitted a petition to the Federal Office of Energy requesting a contestable ruling — the first official step to have the legal situation reviewed by a court. Once we receive this ruling, our next step will be to bring the case before the Federal Administrative Court.

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)