Honda just revealed a new “short range ‘Micro Commuter’ electric vehicle” that applies a variety of interesting ideas and technologies to the world of automobile production, including 3D printing. The super-tiny EV made its formal debut at this year’s CEATEC trade show in Japan, and is designed as a delivery vehicle for the Japanese bakery Toshimaya.
In case you were unaware, CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) is an annual tech-heavy trade fair similar to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) here in the U.S.
The micro commuter uses a pipe frame chassis sourced from Honda as the underlying structure. On top of this you’ll find exterior body panels and a cargo area created by a 3D printer. Providing the go are the same electric drive components as were used in the MC- β (Micro Commuter Beta), another single-seater prototype that was revealed back in 2014.
That means this new micro-mover gets a maximum of 15 horsepower thanks to a lithium-ion battery pack. Charge times look like seven hours from a 100-volt outlet, and less than three hours when plugged into a 200-volt outlet.
Total range is capped at around 50 miles, which might seem low, but remember, this is a delivery vehicle, which means it’s got a pretty fixed A-to-B schedule. Seating capacity is limited to just the driver, with space in back to accommodate Toshimaya’s various confections.
To produce the new micro commuter and create those nifty 3D printed panels, Honda partnered with Kabuku Inc., a Japanese firm that specializes in digital fabrication technology. Honda also says it employed an open innovation model during development (basically sourcing ideas both internally and externally), and that the underlying structure uses a variable design platform.
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