This DIY kit lets you build your own street-legal tiniest car in the world
The Peel P50, produced in the early 1960s, was the smallest production automobile in the world. And now a new kit allows handy folks to build their own replica, although this time, it’s electric!
To give you a sense of just how small this tiny three-wheeled automobile is, consider that it would fit in a typical passenger elevator.
It was originally marketed as having space for “one adult and one shopping bag”. It is smaller than a Vespa scooter. It never had a reverse gear, but instead originally came with a handle on the back so you could just pick it up and roll it like a piece of carry-on luggage.
Basically, it was tiny.
Production may have been shut down in 1965, but fortunately a few motivated businessman managed to bring the brand back from the dead. And now the Peel P50 has returned, or at least in a replica form.
The new company, known as P50 Cars, has created a replica that is much easier to get your hands onto than one of the original 50 production models.
There are both gas-powered and electric versions available, though I’m not sure who would bother with a gas-powered model. When I’m enclosed inside of something the size of a suitcase, the last thing I want in there with me is an operating combustion engine.
The electric version is said to use a 4 kW motor that gets the little vehicle up to a sprightly 28 mph (45 km/h). Those who want even higher power can fit their own electric motor instead of using the 4,000W model that comes in the kit.
The kit includes the wheels, body, seat, steering wheel, drivetrain, and pretty much everything else needed to build your own world’s tiniest electric car. It requires around 50 hours of work to assemble, though the British manufacturer of the kit also sells fully-assembled versions for those that don’t have the skills or time to channel their inner IKEA warrior and build one themselves.
The P50 replica may be small, but it includes all the important parts you’d expect: suspension, lighting, horn, brakes, mirrors, etc. Just like the original, there’s a single door on the left side of the car. It’s a suicide door, which is fitting for what is essentially a suicide car.
The vehicle is said to be street legal in most jurisdictions as a kit car, moped, or motorcycle.
As the manufacturer explains, the Peel P50 and the company’s larger two-seater car known as the Trident are ideal for self-assembly kits.
“It’s our belief that the P50 and Trident are perfect as self-assembly kit cars, especially as a first build for the novice car builder. Being mechanically simple, extremely lightweight and small by their very nature, they are a great introduction to the art of vehicle building. Our kits come with all the key components to get your ‘World’s Smallest Car’ on the road.
All that is required are a few tools, a little garage space (as little as 6ft by 8ft area) and patience. Approximate build time is around 50 hours start to finish. Registering your kit once built is also more straightforward than most kit cars as in many jurisdictions they are classified as mopeds or light motorcycles.”
The kits aren’t cheap, though neither are most electric microcars these days.
The self-assembly kit starts at £10,379 (approximately US $12,600). A fully-assembled model will set you back £13,972 (approximately US $16,970).
But considering you’d have one of the most unique electric cars in the world, can you really put a price on that?
Electrek’s Take
This is incredible. Just knowing that these kits exist has already considerably improved my day.
Those who know me will also know that I’m fond of weird, small, and otherwise wacky electric vehicles. This fits the bill perfectly.
Uh oh, I might need to build myself an electric Peel P50.
via: Intelligent Living
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Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.
To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.
Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back
Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:
Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.
Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.
Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.
Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”
Permitting: Germany sets the standard
Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.
If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.
Grid connections: a growing crisis
Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.
This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.
Electrification: falling behind
Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.
More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist
On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.
Investments and corporate interest
Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.
Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs.
Read more: Renewables could meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030 – IEA
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.
What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far
We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.
BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.
The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.
BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.
To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).
BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).
Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.
Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT
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