Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Toyota Motor has launched the ultracompact two-seater electric vehicle that it demonstrated at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, but for the time being sales will be limited to business clients and local governments.
Toyota says that the C pod is aimed at short-distance daily use, corporate users visiting customers on a regular basis, and at users in urban or mountainous communities.
The C pod has a cruising range of up to 150 kilometers and supports standard charging, which takes about five hours. It can travel up to 60 kilometers per hours.
With a cabin width of 1.1 meters, the interior provides a simple space for two average-sized adults to sit side-by-side.
Head of Development Akihiro Yanaka stated of the C pod during last year’s motor show, “We want to create a mobility solution that can support Japan’s aging society and provide freedom of movement to people at all stages of life. With the ultracompact battery electric vehicle, we are proud to offer customers a vehicle that not only allows for greater autonomy, but also requires less space, creates less noise, and limits environmental impact.”
The suggested retail price for a C pod is ¥1.65 million (US$16,000), but the general public is not expected to be able to purchase this model until sometime in 2022.