Mustang Mach-E

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

Those who aren't fans of all-electric vehicles like the Ford Mustang Mach-E had better get used to them. Just last Friday, General Motors announced its entire passenger vehicle lineup will become pure battery electrics by 2035, just 14 years from now. Expect other large automakers, such as Ford, Volkswagen, and Toyota to follow suit sooner or later. And then there's Dartz, the Latvian-based boutique brand responsible for crazy SUVs like the bulletproof Prombron. It was once briefly offered with an upholstered leather interior made from whale foreskin. You can't make stuff like that up.

Even now Dartz is now jumping in on the EV market with its own unique creation. Introducing the FreZe Nikrob EV (yes, it's purposely spelled like that), a small two-door, four-passenger battery-electric Dartz that's already on sale in Europe only with a dirt-cheap price of 9,999 Euros.

Dartz owner and CEO Leonard 'Leo' Yankelovich told CarBuzz the US market is not out of the question in the future. The primary markets, for now, are Germany, Norway, and France. Leo also hopes to strike deals with car-sharing firms. With a maximum range of 124 miles on a single charge, the FreZe Nikrob has a simple exterior design and a completely vegan interior thanks to upholstery material sourced entirely from palm tree leaves. Call it leaf leather. But unlike other EV city cars, the FreZe's interior can be customized, such as rear seat removal.

Leo tells us the exterior can also be equipped with side trunks like those found on the currently Chinese market-only Alligator SUV. Roof racks can also be fitted.

But what about something wonderfully bonkers only Dartz would think of, like a bulletproof body? "Bulletproof is possible using our technology we used on the last Alligator," Leo said. "But in all cases, even armored Alligator is lighter than regular donor Mercedes GLS Maybach. A small car will be heavier [and that] means low range, and low range is bad for protection. I have strong doubts about the bulletproof future of EVs." But… Leo says the FreZe can be equipped with shatterproof glass windows. "People love to smash windows and [stuff] grab from cars traffic lights," he adds. "We see an especially big market for this in France."

The FreZe Nikrob will be assembled in the EU by Dartz's fellow Lithuanian partner, Nikrob.