HONDA Motor Company has unveiled the Micro Commuter Prototype, an Electric Vehicle (EV) that is micro in sized and has a changeable body.
Honda will begin demonstrating the vehicle in Japan next year to see the potential of it being used as a mode of transportation for families with small children, senior citizens, home-delivery services, commuting and car sharing.
Sized about the same as the Honda GoldWing touring bike, the show vehicle comes with a body that can seat an adult and two children at the back, ala McLaren F1 albeit the size and poshness.
Components like battery, motor and control unit are all located under the floor, designed to ensure the body and interior can be easily customised into various needs and use.
It is also equipped with a tablet docking station, where user can slot in his/her tablet and it becomes the instrument panel for the vehicle. The prototype we saw was using a Docomo tablet (a rebadged Samsung tablet).
Honda is also studying the use of onboard solar cells to provide energy for the driving.
It was actually first unveiled in a non-working prototype concept back in the Tokyo Motor Show year 2011. This one is a working model and nearly production ready.
