Let’s say you’re driving on a French nation highway and end up caught behind a gradual driver. A very gradual driver. “Can’t this man go any sooner?” you surprise. And the reply could be…no!
A Pot of Yogurt
France is filled with microcars, known as voiturettes or pots de yaourt (pots of yogurt), which might be specifically designed to go slowly. You may drive one with out a license, so long as you’re not less than 14 years previous.
You gained’t discover them on main roads, as a result of they’re too small and gradual: to qualify as a microcar, the automobile should weigh a most of 200kg (440 kilos) and have a high velocity of 45 kilometers per hour (28 miles per hour). However that makes them economical—some fashions value nicely beneath €10,000.
Voiturettes have lengthy been widespread within the French countryside, particularly amongst older drivers whose eyesight isn’t what was once. And they’re the one alternative for somebody whose license has been suspended due to repeated offenses, or due to a drunk driving conviction (therefore the nickname voiture des alcolos—alcoholic’s automobile.)
Paris Right here We Come!
Lately, producers have launched electrical variations of those little automobiles which have change into widespread amongst younger city dwellers—Citroën calls theirs an “city mobility object.” A microcar’s velocity restrict isn’t an issue in gridlocked metropolis site visitors, and its tiny footprint makes parking a breeze. Some fashions have detachable batteries that may be carried indoors to cost.
The voiturettes aren’t identified for his or her glossy styling—not that you’d anticipate that from a so-called pot de yaourt. Many have a particular Toytown aesthetic and appear like little cubes as they putter down the road. However they’re cheap and sensible, and for somebody who’s had a bit an excessive amount of vin ordinaire, the one approach to go.
Keith Van Sickle splits his time between Provence and California. He’s the creator of An Insider’s Information to Provence, One Sip at a Time, and Are We French But? Learn extra at Life in Provence
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