TOKYO, Oct 18 — To reduce the amount of emissions produced by vehicle-based transportation, Toyota has developed an ultra-compact battery electric vehicle to provide owners with an eco-friendly short distance mobility option.

As the automotive market becomes more and more committed to developing environmentally friendly modes of transportation, vehicles are increasingly being designed for specific niches and their particular needs. Throughout 2019, a handful of extremely compact electric vehicles and concepts — Citroen’s Ami One, Seat’s Minimo, Nissan’s IMk, and Honda’s Urban EV — have been announced with the nearly-exclusive purpose of being used in urban environments. Yesterday, Toyota, too, revealed its own rendition of the teeny tiny city vehicle: The Ultra-compact BEV.

Unlike other cars in this segment, this EV is not a concept — it’s production ready and is expected to launch in Japan next year. The two-seater has a single-charge range of about 100 km and a top speed of 60km/h, or about 37mph.

Performance was not the focus of this model. Instead, the company intends for this car to be used by customers who frequently make short-distance trips like “the elderly, newly licensed drivers, or business-people visiting local customers.”

Though the technical specs of the model have not been announced yet, Toyota’s Head of Development Akihiro Yanaka states that this model will provide customers with “greater autonomy.”

The Ultra-compact BEV will be on display at the Tokyo Motor Show (October 24 to November 4) at the Future Expo. — AFP-Relaxnews

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