The Kilow is the weirdest, coolest tiny EV you’ve never heard of

France has a long history of building weird cars, and things have only gotten weirder as EVs become more common. The Citroen Ami is an excellent example of French weirdness, but it’s got nothing on this thing. The Kilow is a lightweight EV with short range and modest power, but it’s one of the coolest tiny EVs we’ve seen yet. It’s available for preorder now, but there’s no word on whether it will come to North America.

Looking at this thing, it’s easy to be fooled by its dinky appearance, but videos of the car tell a different story. It seems like an absolute riot, especially in the woods, where it can be seen ripping trails alongside a mountain biker. It rides on narrow 18-inch wheels with two electric motors positioned nearby. Wide open, the Kilow can reach 24 mph in four seconds – not spry by modern EV standards, but it likely feels way more intense sitting in what amounts to a battery-powered steel rickshaw.

Depending on how it’s configured, the car offers up to 87 miles of range, but load weight is capped at just 330 pounds, so heavy loads probably impact range to a high degree. It’s capable of starting on a 40 percent grade and features LED lighting for night driving.

Two versions of the vehicle are available, and one can be piloted by people without a license in parts of Europe. Local laws in the U.S. may vary, but the non-license version is limited to a top speed of 28 mph. The version that requires a license can reach 50 mph.

The company behind the Kilow, kgEV, markets it as a toy for grownups. There’s even a life-size “box” for storage and charging that looks like classic toy car packaging in stores. The price, however, is not aligned with that image. The Kilow starts at 9,990€, or $9,855 at today’s rates. The company requires 10{5be0972a10a00bb621c1a18de1a801d58662e556d02921cebb422beac5e5b2fe} down to reserve the car, and configuration will be available once preorders are complete.