PMV has launched the first car in microcar segment but will the market accept it!

I have to applaud PMV for launching the first micro electric car for Indian market. Presenting PMV Eas-e.

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At first glance, I didn't like the design of this microcar much. That is because the design of a microcar can be so much more than this. Case in point, the Smart Fortwo below:

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But then when you look inside, you can see why PMV's designed microcar looks the way it does. The PMV eas-E looks a lot trimmed from the sides making it almost unbelievable that a car could be designed like that. Afterall, it is the design of the microcar that can either make it take off or dive nosefirst, case in point Mahindra Reva. The car was based on a good concept but the design wasn't good at all. Everyone loves aesthetics. Here is what Reva looked like:

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So we have to realize that the aesthetics of a vehicle make the market accept it. You have to make it smart and sharp for people to accept microcars. Microcars are great for intracity mobility to reduce traffic congestion and easy maneuverability. If microcars are electrically powered, then they would be environmentally friendly as well. They would be easy on the pockets of people as well because the fuel prices are set to increase as the days go by.

So now that we understand how important e-microcars are and that aesthetics make them successful, we are going to come back to the eccentric design of PMV eas-E. At first, I didn't like the design of the car much. But there is something about the design of this particular car that it grows on you. And once you see the interior of the car, you will realize why PMV designed it to be so trimmed from the sides. Here is the interior of the PMV eas-E in a quick video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeLiQ8i3cz8

So instead of seating two people in front, it seats just one. There is a seat at the back for a single companion or two slim ones.

Now here are the pros of this car as per the design:

1. The car is slim. So less space occupied on the roads. More cars can be accommodated side by side.

2. Its better for those who travel intracity via bike.

However, here could be the improvements:

1. The car could have been made to accommodate two passengers in front. This way people with girlfriend or wife would have fount it better to make their partner sit with them.

2. The current design of a single driver in front makes the car look more like a rickshaw with four wheels.

3. The car could have looked better aesthetically if it was designed to accommodate two people in front.

However, there are many other things that are good with the car. The claimed range of the car is 160 KM at full charge which is sufficient for intracity travel. The car can be charged in under 4 hours as claimed which is also a good charging time.

There is still a gap in the market for aesthetically pleasing that doesn't stand out extraordinarily.