Toyota has announced that it will display its new, production-ready Ultra-compact battery electric vehicle at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. This small BEV will go into commercial production in Japan by 2020. The car is designed to provide short-distance mobility and is a two-seater. It's 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 kmph, and has an extremely short turning radius. In fact a full charge takes 5 hours if a 200 volts charging system is used.
Akihiro Yanaka, Head of Development said, "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, Toyota 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.
