Kate : Electric, Seaside Style
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Blending design object, leisure vehicle, and electric car, Kate brings the iconic beach car into the modern era. Inspired by the distinctive open-top vehicles of the 1960s, the French brand offers a contemporary take on this timeless icon: electric, lightweight, customizable, and made in France.
Kate: Electric, Seaside Style
Kate: Electric, Seaside Style
More than just a means of transportation, Kate embodies a distinctive vision of mobility, centered on pleasure, simplicity, and the art of living. A philosophy particularly well suited to seaside resorts, islands, and high-end tourist destinations.
A 1960s Icon, Reimagined
Kate’s silhouette is not designed to blend into traffic. With its clean, angular lines, round headlights, nearly vertical windshield, and canvas roof, the vehicle proudly embraces its retro inspiration.
The brand has spent more than a decade bringing this iconic beach car back to life, preserving its original spirit while modernizing its design. The goal is to recapture the sense of freedom associated with these legendary vehicles while adapting it to today’s expectations, notably through a fully electric powertrain.
Kate also places a strong emphasis on emotion. Pure performance is not the priority here. Instead, the vehicle is designed for seaside drives, trips through charming villages, summer getaways, and everyday journeys over short to medium distances.
Two Versions: Cruiser and Islander
The 2026 lineup is built around two main versions: the Kate Cruiser and the Kate Islander. The Cruiser is the more versatile take on the beach car, reaching a top speed of 70 km/h and offering up to 235 kilometers of range on the WMTC cycle. The manufacturer also quotes a range of 130 kilometers under a standard urban driving cycle.
The Islander follows the same philosophy but is designed more specifically for hilly terrain and island roads. It delivers 30% more torque, with a top speed limited to 60 km/h, while retaining a claimed range of up to 235 kilometers on the WMTC cycle. Both models start at €32,800 including VAT, excluding delivery fees, options, and accessories.
Lightness and Simplicity as a Philosophy
One of Kate’s most distinctive features is its weight. At just 450 kg unladen, the vehicle takes an almost opposite approach to many modern electric cars, whose weight can increase significantly due to large batteries and extensive equipment.
This lightweight design is central to Kate’s philosophy: using fewer materials and less energy for leisure and short-distance mobility. Classified in the L7e category, Kate seats four passengers and features a secure 37-liter trunk. Its steel body is treated using a cataphoresis process, while the vehicle is equipped with 13-inch aluminum wheels, vegan leather seats, and a marine-grade canvas bimini top. Simplicity also extends to its electric design. According to Kate, the vehicle uses 45% fewer parts and requires three times less energy to produce than a conventional vehicle. The brand therefore promotes an approach to electric mobility that goes beyond simply replacing the powertrain, focusing instead on reducing both the vehicle’s weight and overall complexity.
A Car Made in France
Another key aspect of Kate’s identity is its French manufacturing. The vehicles are produced in Cerizay, in the Deux-Sèvres region, where, according to Kate, they are assembled by hand, with nearly 90% of components sourced from France. This approach allows the brand to combine its seaside and Mediterranean-inspired identity with genuine French industrial expertise and craftsmanship. Local production is also an important part of Kate’s environmental philosophy. Rather than presenting electric power alone as the solution, the brand emphasizes a broader approach combining low weight, simplified design, French manufacturing, and local sourcing.
Customization at the Heart of the Experience
Kate also aims to make each vehicle truly personal. The car is fully customizable, particularly when it comes to body and seat colors. This approach places Kate at the crossroads of mobility, lifestyle, and design. The vehicle can be configured to suit an individual owner’s preferences or tailored to match the visual identity of a hotel or hospitality property.
The hospitality market plays an important role in the brand’s strategy. Kate works with several industry players and positions its vehicle as a way to enhance the guest experience whether for leisurely drives, transfers, or exploring a destination aboard a quiet and instantly recognizable vehicle.
A Different Approach to the Automobile
Ultimately, Kate is not designed to replace a family sedan capable of covering hundreds of kilometers on the highway. Its appeal lies elsewhere. With four seats, a top speed of 60 or 70 km/h depending on the version, a weight of just 450 kg, and an electric powertrain, Kate champions a vehicle designed for a specific purpose rather than a car built to do everything.
This is perhaps what makes it so distinctive. While much of the automotive industry is electrifying conventional vehicle designs, Kate takes a different path: a lighter, simpler vehicle built around the pleasure of open-air driving.
Blending the heritage of 1960s beach cars with French manufacturing and electric mobility, Kate transforms a vehicle once synonymous with summer holidays into a contemporary proposition. A car that does not promise to go ever faster or farther, but instead brings the focus back to the journey itself.
