Kate: This New French Automaker Wants the Future of Mobility to be Driven by Micro-Cars

Automaker giants are often known for their flamboyant, almost larger-than-life vehicles. However, this new car maker is strikingly different.

It wants to usher in a new era of mobility, not with big and bulky SUVs but by introducing micro-cars that could be used for daily commutes. This French company is called "Kate" and is co-founded by Thibaud Elziere, also known for founding Hexa, with CTO Pierre Escrieut and CEO Matthias Goldenberg.

CEO Goldenberg told TechCrunch in an interview that Kate's target consumers are people living in the outskirts, mid-sized cities, and even the countryside.

Daily Mobility

98% of travel in France in 2023 will be for daily mobility or distances under 80 km. Around 83% of these trips will involve a car.

The company adds that 14% of greenhouse gas emissions are traced to these brief journeys. Kate said they were founded to accelerate the sustainable transition to an environmentally friendly mode of transportation.

"We are genuinely convinced that two-ton SUVs, whether they're thermal or even electric, are not the future of everyday mobility. Used for everyday journeys, tomorrow's car will be light, clean, and energy-efficient and will offer equal protection for drivers, passengers, and other road users. It will ensure the decarbonization of the automotive industry but its success will be guaranteed by the fact that it will be less expensive to produce, use and maintain than a traditional car," Goldenberg said in a press release of the company.

Kate supports the concept of small, four-wheeled vehicles that can transport both individuals and goods.

Its name is derived from the term "Kei Car" (or 軽自動車 in Japanese), which is used to designate the little cars that were initially developed in Japan in the 1950s. They continue to account for 40% of cars registered in Japan today and are renowned for their accessibility and practicality.

Kate's Upcoming Car

According to Kate, the standard car of the future will have to be small and light to address energy and environmental problems. Hence, Kate is focusing on developing a variety of micro-cars that are suitable for varied uses.

The French company believes the race to enhance power and performance in the automaking industry is over. It believes that it is high time to focus on the pleasure of driving and advancing environmental solutions in everyday mobility.

"The idea isn't just to create a new range of vehicles but an entire state of mind, focused on pleasure and simplicity. Matthias, Pierre and I have been inspired by these perennial values to develop our new range of micro-cars," Thibaud Elzière, Kate's co-founder, said in a statement.

The K1, Kate's forthcoming car, is an L7e vehicle with a large quadricycle. It will have four seats and a top speed of 90 kilometers per hour (56mph), as per TechCrunch.

With a 200-kilometer battery range, Kate hopes to have an entry price of roughly €15,000 ($16,000). It is anticipated that the company will also introduce various models with enhanced batteries and other features that could cost more than the expected starting price.