1997 Toyota e.com

The Toyota e-com is a concept car that was unveiled at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show. It is a compact, two-passenger vehicle with a total length of 2.79m. It can run for 100km on a single charging and produces no emissions. The e-com is quite, features excellent maneuverability, and can be parked in very small spaces, making it an extremely convenient vehicle. In addition, the e-com can be charged using household 100V AC current, offering a new form of convenient, urban transport.

Painted silver with blue roof, fenders and bumpers, the tiny egg-shape Toyota "e.com" concept car brough smiles to people who attended the 1998 Chicago show. Stored under the floor of the e.com electric vehicle (EV) prototype were 24 sealed nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries linked together to produce 288 volts, and offered approximately a 60-mile range. The e-com made a second appearance the following year during the 1999 Chicago event, but this time the vehicle was painted in a 2-tone combination of silver with green accented roof and body panels.

На электротяге работает и крохотная машинка Toyota e-com длиной всего 2,8 метра. Журналисты уже успели окрестить e-com "электрическим Смартом". В самом деле, e-com чем-то напоминает немецко-швейцарский Smart. Запаса электричества хватает на 100 км пути в городском режиме движения. Разработчики утверждают, что этого вполне достаточно для использования электромобиля как третьего транспортного средства в семье или в качестве прокатной машины для езды по перегруженному центру большого города.