Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced a launch of the “C+pod” ultra-compact battery electric vehicle (BEV) designed to move easily through the narrow and busy streets of large cities. The C+pod, which is reminiscent of the Citroën Ami, is an environmentally-friendly two-seater BEV designed as a mobility option that improves per-person energy efficiency.
The little car measures just under 2.5 meters in length, 1.29 meters in width, 1.55 meters in height, and has a minimum turning radius of 3.9 meters. Even so, it is possible to carry some luggage in the rear compartment, which is not quite a trunk. The car has a 9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack located under-floor in front of the seat that provides a cruising range of up to 150 km (93 miles). The electric motor, positioned in the rear of the vehicle, produces 12.3 hp. Weighting only between 670 and 690 kg, the mini-car would be able to reach a speed of 60 km/h (37 mph).
The C+pod supports standard charging, which makes charging easy, whether at home or outside of the home. It takes approx. 5 hours to get fully charged. The vehicle also includes an external power supply system of up to 1,500 W as standard for use during power outages and natural disasters. Besides, the optional vehicle power connector can be plugged into the standard charging inlet at the front of the vehicle for use as an external power supply socket, which can supply power for up to about 10 hours.
In its first round of sales for fleet customers, the Japanese firm will offer two versions, C+pod Grade X and C+pod Grade G, which will have the same propulsion and will only differ by the equipment. The vehicles cost 1,650,000 Japanese yen (approx. $15,920) and 1,716,000 Japanese yen (approx. $16,555), respectively.
The Toyota C+pod was launched on Christmas Day (December 25) and will initially be aimed at companies, local governments, and other organizations. Toyota plans to conduct a full-scale launch, including individual customers, by 2022.
