We've heard consistent rumors since last year that BMW was considering entering the tiny car market with a new electric car. This entire time, BMW was to decide on the fate of the city EV by the end of the year, and it seems that they have. BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer has confirmed that the Bavarian automaker will indeed go smaller, though we are not so sure it will wear the blue and white badge. Rather, the new vehicle could wear the Isetta badge made popular on microcars from the past. "It'll be a car with a completely new look, with two engines available. One will be a very efficient combustion engine and the other will be a purely electric model," says Reithofer. Speculation is that the electric model will get over 200 miles per charge. We don't know what internal combustion engine is slated for the Isetta, but BMW has plenty of experience with small and efficient engines from its Motorrad division. We like the way this is going.

[Source: Autocar]

Apparently tiny cars can go both ways across the Atlantic. After last week's news that the SMART will be coming to America in 2008, Canada's Feel Good Cars announced that their Microcar-ZENN EV (which is manufactured in France) will be introduced to the UK this year, and then to other European countries. Considering that, according to Feel Good Cars, the "average urban speed in the UK is now somewhere around 20mph (or considerably lower in London), the average trip for an urban driver is rarely more than 10 – 15 miles", the ZENN EV could make a lot of sense for some people. The ZENN EV will be available in both two- and four-seater versions and will cost under £8,000. The car will feature regenerative braking and optional lithium ion battery power.

[Source: Microcar UK]