Fun fact: It is rear-wheel drive!
Not completely sure if it is pronounced as “C plus pod”, but it is stylized as C+pod, with the + symbol being a superscript of the C. With C+pod, Toyota now has vehicles for everyone and in all different sizes. The C+pod is available in two trims in Japan, with prices starting at JPY 1,650,000 (USD 15,947 or INR 11,73,480). It is mainly intended for corporate users, local governments and other organizations.
In case you don’t remember, the C+pod is the production version of the Ultra-compact BEV concept that we saw in 2019. The production version looks almost identical to the concept, except that the LED headlights and LED taillights don’t look as sharp and cutting-edge as in the concept.
The tiny BEV measures 2,490 mm in length, 1,290 in width and 1,550 mm in height. It boasts a wheelbase of 1,780 mm and the ground clearance is at 145 mm. A turning radius of 3.9 m should make it super easy to navigate in a bustling metropolis.
The cabin has a simple layout, obviously, with the instrument pod in the middle of the dashboard. The centre stack has the essential controls such as the Drive, Reverse and Neutral selectors, and AC and seat heating controls as well.
Safety
Although the exterior panels are made of plastic to reduce weight, the C+pod packs some respectable safety technology such as the standard Pre-Collision system that can detect vehicles (day and night), pedestrians (day and night), and cyclists (day). An Intelligent Clearance Sonar with Parking Support Brakes (Stationary Objects) is also included to help avoid collisions, or mitigate damage, with walls and other obstacles during low-speed operation.
The vehicle structure efficiently disperses and absorbs impact energy across multiple components, and ensures safety in the event of frontal, side or rear impacts, Toyota said.
Technical bits
Moving on to the business end of the story, a single electric motor (permanent magnet) at the rear develops a maximum output of 9.2 kW (12.5 metric hp) and 56 Nm (41 lb-ft) of torque. A 9.06 kWh lithium-ion battery pack is claimed to offer a cruising range of up to 150 km (93 mi) as per WLTC Class 1 test cycle. Its top speed is claimed to be 60 km/h (37 mph), for those interested to know. The vehicle weighs 690 kg (1,521 lbs). Recharging the battery pack takes between 5-16 hours.
In addition to C+pod, Toyota will launch the Walking Area BEVs and i-Road as well in the coming days.
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Note: Comments that are unrelated to the post above get automatically filtered into the trash bin.
