Urban living in Europe is often characterized by walkable spaces and accessible public transport—features that make the conventional car less necessary. However, the rise of SUVs continues unabated, primarily due to their high popularity. In an effort to address the inefficiencies traditional vehicles bring to city environments, the Stockholm-based startup Luvly is proposing an alternative: Light Urban Vehicles (LUVs). Luvly aims to revolutionize urban mobility with lightweight electric vehicles tailored for short-distance travel.
For years, various companies have attempted to reshape urban transport with greener, more efficient vehicles. Yet, many startups like Uniti and Arcimoto have faced roadblocks that hindered their progress. Luvly approaches the market differently, choosing to license its technology to existing manufacturers. This enables vehicle producers to integrate Luvly’s lightweight systems without the burdens of complete redesigns, offering a promising path forward in contrast to previous ventures.
What Makes LUVs Different?
Luvly’s lightweight vehicle platform utilizes a patented flat‑pack design, which allows for efficient shipping and assembly. The design, which accommodates up to 20 unassembled vehicles in a single shipping container, contributes to reduced logistics costs and lower CO₂ emissions. The vehicles are constructed from sandwich-composite chassis panels and feature small motors along with removable battery packs. These can be conveniently charged like e-bikes, minimizing the necessity for extensive charging infrastructures.
How Does Luvly Stand Out?
With a focus on safety, sustainability, and affordability, Luvly distinguishes itself. Unlike larger vehicles, Luvly’s architecture allows for downsizing components, maintaining safety while keeping weight and cost low. CEO Håkan Lutz explains their unique position:
“First, we went deep on the tech. We’re not using the same technology as everyone else—we developed a truly different solution, and that lets us do things that are incredibly hard to combine: sustainability, affordability, and safety in a single product.”
Luvly’s approach of licensing their platform rather than competing directly with legacy automakers might be a key factor in their resilience. Lutz states,
“It’s incredibly costly and full of caveats. There are dominant players in this industry for a reason. We realised, over time, that the right way forward is to offer something to the experts — companies that already know production, marketing, and how to navigate market constraints — and give them a solution to do something new, something they don’t typically do.”
Before the SUV trend, smaller, more efficient vehicles were gaining ground. However, they didn’t dominate as strongly as SUVs do now. In contrast, Luvly’s LUVs offer an efficient urban alternative that respects city spaces while delivering automotive performance.
Luvly is part of The Microcar Coalition, advocating for the promotion of microcars as a sustainable alternative to high-emission vehicles. Members of this alliance strive to shift regulatory landscapes and urban planning policies in favor of compact electric vehicles. This shift is seen as essential for reducing emissions and reclaiming urban spaces.
The enduring appeal of microcars and LEVs is evident. Notably, they are part of diverse car-sharing schemes, showing their integration into broader mobility solutions. With innovative manufacturing solutions like ‘Factory in a Box’ by Helixx, the future suggests a growing landscape for LUVs and microcars.
