Chip is a pint-sized EV with a big personality

Chip is a tiny electric vehicle with a big personality

Chip looks a little like a souped-up golf cart, but its creators have a more ambitious description: a “life utility vehicle” designed for short trips around town.

I recently took a ride in a pre-production version with co-founder Jameson Detweiler, and the first thing you notice is the size. Chip is just under five feet wide, which means it can squeeze into tight parking spaces without feeling like a toy.

The compact EV tops out at 25 miles per hour and is designed for most roads with speed limits up to 35. The company says it can travel more than 100 miles on a charge and plugs into a standard household outlet.

The idea is to create an affordable second vehicle for errands, beach trips, school runs and other local driving. The four-seat version starts at $15,000, while a six-seat model starts at $18,000.

Chip is also highly customizable. Owners will be able to remove the doors, choose a soft-top roof, add bike or surfboard racks, or convert the back into a small truck bed. There is even a “party in the frunk” package with a television and speaker system.

The vehicle definitely gets attention. During the short time I was around it, people stopped, took photos and came over to ask questions. One woman pulled over just to get a closer look and said she could picture using it for regular trips to the beach.

Chip also talks, and that personality is tied to a future service called Chip Go. The company says owners could eventually step out of the vehicle and have a remote human operator park it, return it home or handle a curbside grocery pickup. The longer-term goal is to add more autonomous capabilities through software updates.

Safety is part of the pitch. Chip sits higher than a traditional golf cart to better align with the bumpers of larger American vehicles, and the company says it includes a roll structure along with front and side-impact protection.

My impression is that Chip has a clever design and a lot of potential, but it is still a pre-production vehicle. Some features remain in development, and building a new car means navigating manufacturing, supply chains and plenty of unexpected challenges.

Deliveries are expected to begin later this year.