While WWII fuel rationing squeezed every French automaker, only Peugeot bet on electric power — announcing the tiny VLV microcar in 1941, decades before EVs went mainstream.
Lead trim: VLV electric 2.5 kW (3.4 hp)
Peugeot VLVVLV · 1941–1943
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Peugeot VLV yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactWhile WWII fuel rationing squeezed every French automaker, only Peugeot bet on electric power — announcing the tiny VLV microcar in 1941, decades before EVs went mainstream.
The Peugeot VLV (Voiture Légère de Ville, "Light City Car") was an electric microcar announced on 1 May 1941, surprising observers since Peugeot was the only large French automaker interested in electric propulsion at the time. It was powered by four 12V batteries under the bonnet and a 2.5 kW (3.4 hp) Safi motor, for a claimed top speed of 36 km/h (22 mph) and a range of 80 km (50 mi), charged from a supplied charger on a standard socket; it had two wheels at the front and two at the back, the rear track so narrow it needed no differential and only one brake drum for both wheels. It was built during the war to side-step fuel restrictions imposed on non-military users by the occupying German forces, yet was banned after only 377 examples were built between 1941 and 1943, the conventional pre-war 202 restarting production in 1946.
Collectors Spotted in the Peugeot VLV Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Peugeot VLV yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLV electric 2.5 kW (3.4 hp) | 1941–1943 | Electric | 3.4 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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