TOKYO: Toyota Motor Company and two allied automakers unveiled the micro-sized electric van at Japan’s delivery firm on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima.
The companies said in a joint statement that the small electric commercial vans will run on a battery electric vehicle (BEV) system that Toyota was developing with mini-vehicle specialists Daihatsu and Suzuki Motor Corp.
The vans, which would come in Toyota, Daihatsu, and Suzuki-branded versions, have slated to have a range per charge of about 200 km and be released by the end of the current financial year running to March 31, 2024.
The companies said in the statement that Daihatsu, which became a Toyota subsidiary in 2016, would produce the vehicles.
The vans will be classed as “key” vehicle, which is low-powered, low-taxed domestic fare.
Micro key cars are hugely famous among businesses and households for delivering agricultural produce, parcels, and other goods in urban places and the countryside in Japan, in part due to their relatively cheap price.
The latest transport ministry data showed that Kei models accounted for 40 per cent of 78.8 million four-wheel vehicles owned in Japan at the end of February.
Reducing emissions has been a key problem at this year’s G7 meeting.
The roll-out by Toyota, which owns 4.89 per cent of Suzuki, and its partners also comes as other automakers in Japan are expanding their lineups with electric mini-commercial vans.
Honda Motor Co said in December it would start selling a micro-sized commercial electric van with a target cruising range of 200km in spring 2024 to electrify its car lineup.
