New Automaker Kate To Focus On Micro Cars For Everyday Use

French company Kate has intended to build a compact car that can be used for both daily transportation and a variety of errands.

Thibaud Elzière, the serial entrepreneur behind Hexa, the startup studio formerly known as eFounders, is a third co-founder of Kate in addition to CEO Matthias Goldenberg and CTO Pierre Escrieut.

Although Kate has its heart set on making cars, it has no desire to build large SUVs with high-tech entertainment systems.

By creating the simplest basic electric vehicle conceivable, the business hopes to revolutionise transportation.

Kate is starting with the use case rather than the vehicle.

Kate CEO Matthias Goldenberg said, "We want to offer this to people who genuinely need a vehicle, people who live on the outskirts, in mid-sized towns, or even in the rural."

In Europe, 84% of trips made by people going from point A to point B use a big vehicle, like a standard car. 11% of the CO2 emissions come from it.

However, 98% of journeys are less than 80 kilometres (or 50 miles).

On paper, the K1, Kate's impending vehicle, is a L7e, or hefty quadricycle.

It will have four seats and a top speed of 90 kilometres per hour (56mph).

With a B1 driving licence, which you can obtain in France at age 16 or later, you will be allowed to operate it.

“With the K1, we want to have a vehicle that sits right in the no-go zone between the Citroën Ami that costs €8,000 and the Renault Zoe that costs around €25,000 to €30,000,” Goldenberg said.

A 200-kilometer battery range and a starting price of roughly €15,000 are Kate's goals (124 miles). Of course, there will be more expensive ones with better engines and batteries.

Kate aims to create an automobile that is as sturdy and modular as possible in terms of design.

There will be some connectivity parts so the business can locate problems remotely.

However, the idea is that you ought to be able to keep using your Kate K1 for a very long time.

There will be hardware and software updates, but even if you don't replace any parts, the automobile should last for a very long period.

For example, Kate chose LFP batteries (containing lithium, iron, and phosphate) since they have a much longer cycle life.

There will be certain fundamental software features in the car's entertainment system.

Those who purchase the car will have the option to listen to music or get directions.

However, you will need to rely on your smartphone if you want more accurate driving directions or if you want to listen to your own podcasts.

“The smartphone has to be at the centre of the experience but you should also be able to drive the car if you’re out of battery,” Goldenberg said.