A visitor looks at a Kobot mini single-seater electric vehicle displayed at the Eco Office Expo in Tokyo on Thursday. The Kobot is manufactured by Japanese car company Kowa Tmsuk.
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A visitor looks at a Kobot mini single-seater electric vehicle displayed at the Eco Office Expo in Tokyo on Thursday. The Kobot is manufactured by Japanese car company Kowa Tmsuk.
© Japan Today
31 Comments
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ju123
Cool
nath
Look out Mr. Kobot, it's mean Mr. Dekotora!
OH NOOOOO!
American Devil
Cute, but useless. Even bicycles can hold 2 people, and they can (and do) park everywhere, while this requires a dedicated car parking space. And I wouldn't dare take this on any road where full-size vehicles weave in and out of traffic. It'll get crushed like a bug.
Stephen Jez
Neat but wouldn't want to get into an accident in one.
Vesperto
The potential buyers probably think Why should an individualist like me pretend to have a social life? I'll just buy a single-seater and get home dry. ;) I'd rather ride a bike, preferably with someone else in the back.
YuriOtani
thinking non Japanese, these are good for intown land of the 30 and 40 km speed limit, would be very nice to drive to the store, easy to park. There is a reason SUV's are rare in Japan
gogogo
You forgot uglier
Wakarimasen
soon we will have these being driven on the pavements because it is "too dangerous to drive on the road".
Scrote
Where is the electricity to charge the thing going to come from? I know: let's build even more nuclear power stations. Problem solved.
Liberty Joe Lowe
Its dog slow and sounds like a vacumn cleaner !!
Girls car...wouldn't be caught dead in it
silvertongue
I would look like a playboy in this, cruising down Omotesando, sunglasses on, cigarette hanging out of my mouth while blasting the Carpenters.
Green Panda
Reminds me of the Renault Twizy. Similar shape and size.
samwatters
I love it! When can I buy one?
paulinusa
I'll wait for the Hello Kitty version.
ReformedBasher
@YuriOtani
Except at ski resort parking lots where they seem to be mandatory ;-)
I'm seeing these this type cars constantly exhibited but not actually on the street yet. Unless there's mass production, they always be expensive toys.
Like the window in the door, it would allow precision parking.
nath
Pretty cool, but if you cant seat more than 1 then whats the point? Get a bicycle or an electric scooter or a segway even.
m5c32
Neither do people on scooters or motorcycles but it happens. At least you're protected against the elements. As long as you're not taking them on an an expressway, these should be good to go around town.
PeaceWarrior
Nice, but why do always make them look like Wall-E?
JDB829
WOW! Get hit in one, you'd starve to death before you quit rolling! ! !
nath
So, I can hang a really long extension cord from my 4th floor huge roof garden and charge it down in the basement parking garage?
SwissToni
Rented a Renault Twizy by the hour in Barcelona last week . What a crack. These things are great for town.
SwissToni
Sorry, what a Craic. Dam that predictive text!
YuriOtani
These would be perfect for recharge from a solar unit. In some places perhaps a wind unit.
globalwatcher
Great, this will be a big hit if sold as a replacement for bicycle and sold in US Walmart. Manufacturer needs to come up with a new concept outside of box. Many are trying to lower monthly gas bills.
Serrano
Toyota makes one that's virtually the same size and looks a lot cooler.
Utrack
This mini car is a two seater. I'm watching a video of the Demo of the scooters and this car.
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/12/tokyo-motor-show-oddities-kowa-tmsuk.html
sf2k
If I wanted a Segway....
Cliffy
Reminds me of Suzuki's Pixy which I can use as a wheel chain when I become too old and difficult to walk.
billyshears
too slow (top speed and acceleration) for the road where the speed limit is above 30kmph (especially uphill!); it's going to cause traffic jams, some accidents and probably road rage
jonc4341
I wonder if it always smiles or if it changes to a mean face when you honk
JTDanMan
Seems like a fine automobile, especially for countries like Japan with dense urban centers with a complete inter-urban rail system. If you could put such a compact road-worthy vehicle such as this in a special train car, you could go anywhere. Take the train from city X to city Y, pack along your mini/scooter/motor bike, and hit the ground running.