GoKawiilis transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State.
Are we living through a small car renaissance? There’s the Slate Truck, Amble’s dune buggy, and the Fiat Topolino, as well as a whole galaxy of kei cars and trucks from Japan that have their own built-in fan base. While microcar sales in the US are still as tiny as the vehicles themselves, there are some signs that Americans might not be as closed off to the idea of downsizing as you might think.
The latest example is the launch of Chip Motors, a Miami-based startup with an adorably boxy, open-air electric vehicle that defies easy categorization. Is it a golf cart? A Jeep Wrangler that got hit with a shrink ray? A bit of both?
The company calls Chip a “life utility vehicle,” or LUV for short, but a more accurate acronym would be LSV for “low speed vehicle,” similar to neighborhood electric vehicles from companies like Gem and Wink. It’s top speed of 25mph means it’s only legal on roads with 35mph speed limits or below. It’s intended as a second vehicle for short trips to the grocery store or for kid pickups. There’s a roll bar and a flat battery pack along the floor to protect occupants. And an LED screen on the front bumper acts as Chip’s digital “face” as it smiles and responds to verbal commands. And it even parks itself using teleoperation, with the goal of eventually getting to Level 4, fully autonomous driving.
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