This Japanese Startup Introduces The Kei Car EV Concept, Has One Seat

JAKARTA - Japan is known as the country that leads the kei car industry, a small format vehicle specifically designed for urban use. No wonder you see many tiny electric cars born in this country. One of them is the work of a local startup, KG Motors, which brings miniaturization of vehicles to a new level with a single seat electric car.

Inspired by startup in North America, CEO of KG Motors, Kusunoki Kazunari, shared that his vision is to bring the same automotive entrepreneurship spirit to Japan.

"Although there are only a few mobility startups like us in Japan, in the United States and China, many startups have sprung up, and that makes me think we can do it too," he told NHK, as reported by the Electrek website, Friday, November 17.

In designing its vehicle, Kazunari referred to a government survey on the use of cars, which shows about 70 percent of car owners in Japan drive alone on weekdays, and this figure is close to 50 percent on weekends.

The design offered by KG Motors is very attractive and suitable for use in urban areas, similar to Citroen Ami Buggy. The front display features a round light, sein at the bottom, and a distinctive KG logo.

This electric car combines advanced technology with design elements reminiscent of the past. Although AC provides comfort, this car window is still operated manually. The advantage of the medium driving design is easy access to the driver window and passengers.

In detail, the highest speed for this electric car reaches 60 km/h (37 mph), only having one seat with a medium driving format, equipped with a 5,000W electric motor. This car can cover a distance of 100 km after it is fully charged, with a charging time of about 5 hours from the 100VAC pointer at home.

In terms of price, KG Motors targets a price of around US$6,600, or around Rp. 100 million. The company plans to conduct extensive trials to perfect the design next year, with production scheduled to begin in 2025.