Toyota Motor Corporation recently announced that the company will showcase its new, production-ready Ultra-compact BEV (battery electric vehicle) at the Future Expo special exhibition of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show.
The company introduced the vehicles ahead of its commercial launch in Japan in 2020.
The next-generation mobility solution is designed to provide
short-distance mobility while limiting impact on the environment, Toyota said
in a release.
The ultra-compact, two-seater BEV is specifically designed to meet the daily
mobility needs of customers who make regular, short-distance trips such as the
elderly, newly licensed drivers, or business-people visiting local customers.
It can be driven a range of approximately 100 km on a single
charge, reach a maximum speed of 60 km/h, and features an extremely short
turning radius.
“We want to create a mobility solution that can support Japan’s ageing
society and provide freedom of movement to people at all stages of life,”
said Akihiro Yanaka, Head of Development.
“With the Ultra-compact BEV, 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.”
Toyota is also pairing its planned 2020 launch of the Ultra-compact BEV with a
new business model that aims to promote the wider adoption of battery electric
vehicles in general.
This includes examining every step of the battery’s life,
from manufacture through sale, resale or re-use, and recycling to maximize its
value.
In the near term, the automajor will focus on expanded leasing initiatives
designed to recapture used batteries for evaluation and re-use as appropriate
in pre-owned vehicles, as service parts, or even in non-automobile
applications.
Toyota is also developing peripheral services for battery electric vehicles
such as recharging stations and insurance.