This French Startup Just Built a Delivery Vehicle That Pedals and Charges Itself

One vehicle that can deliver parcels in Lyon and shuttle medicine across town.

That’s exactly what Midipile was built for – short, frequent city trips where a van wastes space and a bike can’t keep up.

The French startup makes a pedal-assist, fully enclosed utility EV that sits between the two. It can carry up to 300 kg, drive 80–100 km on a charge, and consume only about 70 Wh per kilometer, which is less than many e-bikes.

Founded in 2020 in Charente, Midipile has raised €2.18 million in seed funding to start production in 2026. Since then, they’ve set out on a mission to make last-mile work cleaner, cheaper, and more local by rethinking what a delivery vehicle can be.

Filling the gap in urban delivery

Cities are full of vehicles that were never designed for tight streets. Vans crawl through low-emission zones half-empty. Cargo bikes hit limits with heavy loads or bad weather. Riders lose time weaving through traffic built for cars. Between those extremes is the space Midipile wants to claim.

Its answer is Midipile.

A small, four-wheeled electric vehicle that mixes human power with motor assist. Riders pedal to move and the motor multiplies their effort. When slowing down, regenerative braking captures energy and sends it back to the battery.

It is light, enclosed, and doesn’t require a full driver’s license. Yet it can carry serious cargo through dense city centers. At about three meters long and under one meter wide, it takes up only a third of a van’s space. It slips into alleys and loading zones that trucks can’t reach.

It’s fast enough for city deliveries, but small enough to fit where it matters most.

How Midipile’s pedal-electric drivetrain keeps energy use under 70 Wh/km

Midipile’s drivetrain works as a true partnership between the rider and the motor. Pedaling provides the base power. The electric motor then amplifies that effort, keeping the vehicle steady even when fully loaded. When the rider slows down or backpedals, the motor switches roles to capture kinetic energy and store it through regenerative braking. This simple system reduces energy use and extends range during stop-and-go city driving.

This low-consumption setup shows in the numbers – only about 70 Wh per kilometer. That’s less than many cargo e-bikes and roughly one-tenth the energy use of a compact electric van.

Numbers that matter

Specification	Details
Length	3.0 m
Width	1.0 m
Height	1.6 m
Unladen weight	400 kg
Top speed	45 km/h
Range	80–100 km per charge
Payload capacity	Up to 300 kg
Cargo volume	Around 1 m³ (Fourgonnette variant)
Energy consumption	~70 Wh/km
Price	€15,500–16,300 depending on configuration

The Midipile vehicle is strong enough for professional cargo loads, and light enough to stay efficient. Their numbers show exactly where it fits in the urban logistics ecosystem.

One modular platform, three work-ready electric vehicle formats

Every Midipile vehicle starts with the same base. This means a modular chassis, a pedal-electric drivetrain, and an enclosed cabin. From there, the body changes to fit the task.

1) Le Plateau

An open flatbed for flexible cargo. It’s made for contractors, park services, or utility crews that move tools, bins, or materials over short distances. With a 300 kg payload and simple tie-down mounts, it’s the most adaptable model in the lineup.

2) La Fourgonnette

A closed van built for weather-sensitive or secure deliveries. Couriers, food distributors, and medical suppliers get about 1 m³ of protected cargo space, just enough for meal boxes, pharmaceuticals, or parcels that need to stay dry.

3) Le Pick-Up

A mix of both designs that features an enclosed cabin with an open rear bed. It suits municipal teams, campus operations, and resort staff who carry both people and gear.

All three versions share the same mechanical structure. This keeps production simple and maintenance affordable. Midipile can build any model on the same line, using the same parts, one platform covering nearly every light-utility job a city can offer.

Local manufacturing is powering France’s next-generation utility EV

Midipile is building locally in the heart of France. The company’s first industrial site is in Hiersac (Charente), only a few kilometers from its headquarters. It operates inside the facilities of Chaudronnerie Lespinasse, a century-old sheet metal and precision fabrication firm.

This partnership gives Midipile access to skilled workers, proven manufacturing expertise, and a regional supply chain that already runs efficiently. This shows a clear focus on modular, small-batch assembly instead of large, capital-heavy automotive plants. That makes it easier to scale up while keeping control over quality and production.

The current setup can produce 60–100 vehicles a year, enough to cover pilot orders and early municipal or logistics fleet programs. Once homologation is complete, production could ramp up to 300–500 units annually by 2028.

Local manufacturing is central to Midipile’s design philosophy. It calls for fewer transport miles, faster service, and easier spare-part access. Every system is built for quick replacement, helping each Midipile EV stay on the road for years instead of being cycled out through planned obsolescence.

How Midipile stacks up against cargo bikes, vans, and the Citroën Ami Cargo

Urban delivery operators have long faced the same trade-off. Vehicles are either too small to be useful or too large for city streets. Midipile’s EV fills the gap between those two extremes.

Here’s how it stacks up against major competitors.

Against Citroën Ami Cargo

The Citroën Ami Cargo dominates France’s quadricycle market. It’s cheap, familiar, and simple to drive, but it’s somewhat limited. Its payload caps at 140 kg, and range is around 75 km. Midipile almost doubles that payload to 300 kg, keeps a similar range, and cuts energy use by about 30-40% thanks to pedal input and regenerative braking. The Ami is fully electric, while Midipile adds human power to the mix. It costs more (€16,300 vs. €9,890), but offers the capability the Ami was never built for.

Against cargo bikes

High-end cargo bikes from Urban Arrow or DOUZE work well for short, light routes. But only until the weather turns or the cargo gets heavier. Most carry 100–150 kg, move at 25–32 km/h, and leave riders exposed to rain and traffic. Midipile triples the payload, doubles the speed, and protects the rider inside a closed cabin. It bridges the gap between courier bikes and small delivery vans, without the price or complexity of a full vehicle fleet.

Against small electric vans

Compact vans like the Renault Kangoo E-Tech or Nissan Townstar offer good range and payload, but they’re too much for most urban routes. They weigh ten times more, use five to ten times the energy, and take up three parking spaces. They also need a full driver’s license and pay the same congestion fees as larger vehicles. Midipile avoids all of that, being small enough for traffic, light enough to charge from a wall socket, and legal with an AM license.

From couriers to city crews and campus fleets

If you’d think it’s not for everyday consumers, you’d be wrong. It’s perfect for daily commute, but still primarily made for professionals who move people, goods, or tools across short distances. Midipile’s vehicle combines compact size, enclosed comfort, and low operating costs, making it ideal wherever space is tight and reliability matters more than speed.

Here are the main use cases.

Healthcare and hospital logistics

Hospitals move samples, medicines, and equipment between buildings all day. Midipile’s EV handles those trips quietly and without emissions. Its small footprint fits through service corridors, while the enclosed cabin keeps sensitive cargo safe from heat and rain.

Parcel and courier operators

City couriers face stricter emission rules and rising energy costs. Midipile’s 300 kg payload and small size make it perfect for last-mile deliveries. The pedal-electric assist extends range without extra charging stops, helping couriers replace several cargo bikes with a single compact EV.

Municipal and public service fleets

Maintenance crews, park teams, and city staff need affordable vehicles that move easily through narrow streets and pedestrian zones. The vehicle’s modular body options – from flatbed to pickup – let cities handle waste collection, landscaping, and small utility work quietly and cleanly.

Hospitality and resort operations

In hotels, resorts, and campsites, staff often move luggage and supplies between buildings. Midipile offers a quiet, compact way to do it. It has enough capacity for daily tasks and enough comfort for longer shifts, without disrupting guests.

Industrial and campus mobility

Factories and logistics centers still rely on small diesel vans for internal trips. Midipile replaces them with an electric, low-maintenance option that’s safe both indoors and outdoors. It keeps running costs low and reduces on-site emissions to zero.

Across all these cases, the message is always the same – a vehicle that covers short routes, carries significant loads, and never feels oversized for the job.

Pricing, French EV subsidies, and Midipile subscription for fleets

Midipile’s pricing is designed to keep its vehicles accessible for small businesses and local authorities that don’t need a full van fleet. Each model – Plateau, Fourgonnette, or Pick-Up – starts between €15,500 and €16,300 HT. Buyers in France can also benefit from CEE (Certificat d’Économie d’Énergie) subsidies, which reduce the purchase price by €270–690, depending on the buyer type.

To support fleet operators, Midipile developed My Midipile, a companion digital platform built to connect every vehicle and give operators visibility over their day-to-day use. For now, My Midipile serves mainly as a reporting tool rather than a full subscription service. Through the dashboard, operators can view vehicle health, battery status, mileage, and CO₂ savings in real time. It also logs route data and usage trends, helping companies measure performance and plan maintenance.

In the long run, Midipile aims to expand the platform into a full-service system that bundles maintenance, insurance, and fleet management tools. But today, My Midipile acts as the digital backbone of the vehicle, offering transparency, data tracking, and a first step toward smarter fleet management.

The €2.18 M seed round fueling Midipile’s French-made electric fleet

In mid-2024, Midipile raised €2.18 million in seed funding from a diverse group of investors that range from climate funds and regional agencies to industrial partners, all supporting the same goal of rebuilding local manufacturing for cleaner transport.

Lead backer is Team for the Planet, a French civic investment fund focused on large-scale CO₂ reduction projects.

Chaudronnerie Lespinasse is Midipile’s manufacturing host and equity partner, anchoring production in the Charente region.

And angel networks such as Arts & Métiers Business Angels and WeLike Startup, both active in sustainable engineering ventures, are actively supporting Midipile.

The round also received strong public-sector backing, including:

• Bpifrance, the national development bank providing guarantees and venture co-financing.
• ADEME, France’s environment and energy agency, offering grants and technical support.
• ADI Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the regional innovation agency funding industrial pilots.
• GrandAngoulême, the local economic authority providing workspace and logistics help.

This venture round somehow seems closer to a regional industrial alliance. The funding covers R&D in entirety, but also anchors Midipile’s supply chain, production, and jobs in France. This is a great example of public and private capital teaming up to build new mobility industries without sending the value overseas.

Key challenges ahead: scaling production, service, and regulation

Midipile’s idea is strong, but scaling a vehicle company in Europe always comes with challenges.

Here are the key risks the team will need to manage as it grows.

1) Manufacturing scale

The pilot facility in Charente can produce around 100 vehicles per year. Beyond that, Midipile will need new assembly lines, more technicians, and stronger supplier coordination. Without that investment, growth could slow before the brand reaches profitability.

2) Service network gaps

The subscription model only works if vehicles stay on the road. Right now, after-sales service is in construction, per latest information from the company. To cover France, Midipile will need 10–20 certified service centers by 2028. And that’s a major operational and capital challenge for a young company.

3) Competitive pricing pressure

The Citroën Ami Cargo sells for about €9,900, roughly one-third cheaper than Midipile’s models. To justify the difference, Midipile must prove a lower total cost of ownership through energy efficiency, modular design, and all-in-one service value. Without strong TCO data, operators may prefer established brands.

4) Regulatory variation

Light-quadricycle rules differ across Europe. What qualifies as “sans permis” in France may require extra licensing or insurance in other countries. Getting certified in Germany, Benelux, and the UK could take more time than planned and slow expansion.

5) Capital runway

The €2.18 million seed round covers development and early pilots, but a €5–8 million Series A will be needed by late 2026 to scale production, finish certification, and expand servicing. Missing that funding window could delay growth or push Midipile toward an early strategic sale.

These hurdles don’t threaten the concept, but shape how quickly Midipile can turn its prototype into a proven, everyday work vehicle for European cities.

Midipile’s road to 2026: certification, production, and European rollout

Midipile is entering its most important phase, and that’s moving from a working prototype to a certified, road-ready product.

Let’s go through some future key milestones.

2025

The main goal is homologation, the EU certification process for light quadricycles. Midipile is working with accredited French test centers to verify crash safety, braking performance, and energy systems.

Early 2026

After certification, production in Hiersac will ramp up to meet early fleet orders. The first customer deliveries are planned for May 2026, starting with operators in healthcare, logistics, and public services.

2027–2028

Midipile aims to reach around 500 vehicles a year, supported by a wider network of service partners and subscription customers. In parallel, new homologation programs in Benelux and Germany will open additional European markets, especially cities with strict low-emission policies where Midipile fits naturally.

Looking further ahead, the company is already developing a heavy-quadricycle version that can carry up to 600 kg. It’s being designed for construction, waste collection, and industrial campus use.

If everything stays on schedule, by 2030 Midipile could grow from a single workshop in Charente to a distributed manufacturing network producing France’s first large-scale, human-electric utility fleet.

Why Midipile could redefine Europe’s approach to low-impact urban mobility

European cities are running out of room for oversized vehicles. New low-emission zones, congestion fees, and parking limits are making the last mile harder than ever for fleets.

Midipile fits right into that challenge. Its pedal-electric hybrid system avoids heavy batteries, complex autonomy, and bulky chassis. Instead, it focuses on short trips that are cleaner, cheaper, and more human. By keeping riders active and vehicles light, it moves goods efficiently without draining the grid or the budget.

If the model scales, Midipile could become more than a niche innovation. It offers a blueprint for rebuilding urban mobility from the ground up: smaller factories, local supply chains, and vehicles built to be repaired rather than replaced. It’s a meaningful shift in how Europe’s cities deliver, maintain, and move.