Toyota is expanding sales of the “C+pod” ultra-compact battery electric vehicle (BEV) to all corporate and municipal customers, and now the general public as well, with a starting price at 1,650,000 yen (12,640 euro).
The vehicle was launched for select corporate and municipal customers in December last year. All vehicles will be offered via lease contracts, starting from Toyota vehicle dealers and Toyota Rental & Lease Agencies throughout Japan.
The C+pod is an environmentally-friendly two-seater BEV. Smaller than a minivehicle, it has been designed as a mobility option for a diverse group of daily users who frequently travel short distances with few passengers. This might include young, single new drivers, or older individuals who may be nervous about driving.
It has been well received by customers who have used it, especially for its ease of handling, environmental friendliness, and full range of safety and security features despite its ultra-compact body. We are now ready to deliver the C+pod to a wider range of customers, so we have decided to expand the sales target to all customers nationwide.
The lease agreement enables casual C+pod use while also ensuring comprehensive vehicle collection with proactive 3R (reduce, re-use, recycle) initiatives for the onboard batteries. This is part of Toyota’s goal of achieving a carbon neutral mobility society.
Toyota will continue to offer a diverse mobility lineup, including the C+pod and C+walk, to provide safe and secure mobility matched to the needs of customers no matter their stage of life or ability, from new daily drivers to the older drivers, and wheelchair users.
With a compact body measuring 2,490 x 1,290 x 1,550 mm (length x width x height), and a minimum turning radius of 3.9 m, the C+pod comfortably navigates sharp corners on narrow roads, minimizes steering wheel operation when parking, and provides excellent maneuverability in everyday driving. The under-floor location of the lithium-ion battery in front of the seat creates a flat, low-floor package that minimizes steps.
The motor is positioned in the rear of the vehicle, while the combination of a rigid, lightweight body and independent suspension system, that absorbs irregularities in the road surface, achieves high-quality riding comfort and brisk yet stable driving performance.
The C+pod comes with a cruising range of up to 150 km (WLTC mode, Class 1 test cycle when running on battery power; Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), which provides peace of mind for daily use.
The C+pod supports standard charging, which makes charging easy whether at home or outside of the home. The supplied charging cable (100/200 VAC) connects directly to power outlets for charging. With membership of the BEV/PHEV recharging service, the vehicle can be charged outside of the home at Toyota dealers with G-Station chargers (approximately 4,200 charging stations) and at any standard charging spot across Japan (approximately 10,800 charging stations).
The C+pod includes an external power supply system of up to 1,500 W (100 VAC) as standard for use during power outages and natural disasters. In addition to use through the accessory power outlet near the passenger’s feet, the optional vehicle power connector can be plugged into the standard charging inlet at the front of the vehicle for use as an external power supply socket, which can supply power for up to about 10 hours.
The C+pod comes with a fully blacked-out cabin, incorporating LED headlights and LED rear combination taillights to create a distinctive picture of concentrated features and unique BEV design. With the charging inlet/power supply outlet located between the headlights, easy daily use was a particular focus.
Exterior panels are made of plastic to help reduce weight. Paired with the black of the cabin, five different two-tone body color schemes are available, including with a vivid Cyan Metallic and an active, deep Orange Metallic. There are also three different three-tone color options available that combine blacked-out body with the black cabin.
With an interior cabin width of 1,100 mm, the interior provides a simple space for two adults to sit side-by-side. Positioned above a white center tray, the instrument panel features meters and other functional equipment. The contrast with the black tones of the interior creates a feeling of size that exceeds its actual dimensions. Switches are also consolidated in the center panel to achieve people-friendly operability.
