Photo: autoporady
The European Union is strengthening its position in the electric vehicle market with the development of a new compact car class, M1E, designed to compete with low-cost Chinese imports. This new vehicle category is being shaped based on existing regulations for cars weighing up to 3.5 tons and capable of carrying up to nine passengers.
M1E class features
The M1E class introduces additional limits, including a maximum vehicle length of 4,200 mm. Existing models like the Mini Cooper (3,858 mm), Aceman (4,079 mm), and Renault 5 E-Tech (3,920 mm) could fit within these parameters. Notably, M1E vehicles will be significantly larger than Japanese Kei cars, which have a maximum length of 3,400 mm.
Other key points
Detailed technical requirements for M1E are not yet published, but they will be fixed for 10 years to give manufacturers long-term planning certainty. As an incentive, the EU will award 1.3 credits per M1E unit sold, which can be used to offset CO₂ emissions in other models.
Europe already imposes a 10% tariff on Chinese cars, with Chinese electric vehicles facing a 35% tariff. It remains unclear whether British consumers will have access to M1E vehicles after Brexit, and Australian buyers may face high prices if these cars reach their market.
