A small “mobility robot” could change the way Japan gets around
Pricing is one of many reasons EV market penetration worldwide is slow. But in Japan, a country historically not as dependent on the automobile as places like the United States, the electric vehicle segment is growing at a particularly modest pace. With just 3.5 percent of the market share in Japan as of 2023, compared to a global percentage nearer to 20 percent, EVs are far from the popular choice. But a company called KG Motors, based near Hiroshima, is hoping that will change with their idea of the perfect city car: the MiBot.
The MiBot is small and perfect for getting downtown
KG Motors
Really, there’s only one way to say it: the KG Motors MiBot is tiny. The single seater measures 98 inches long, 44 inches wide, and stands just 57 inches tall, making it more or less the size of a golf cart. Under the admittedly adorable exterior beats an electric heart that offers up to 62 miles of range at up to 37 mph. A 7.68 kWh LFP battery pack charges in around five hours on a 100-volt outlet, which is Japan’s standard. Despite a spartan interior — KG Motors proudly touts “doors and air conditioners are standard” — the company says it’s looking into “autonomous driving functions.” Reservations opened up last August, and KG Motors has already secured over 2,000 pre-orders.
Now, small cars and electrification aren’t a new pairing in Japan. The Nissan Sakura, arguably the most popular EV in Japan, is in fact a kei car. But the KG Motors MiBot differs in a few key ways. Funny enough, the most important difference is that it’s smaller, conforming to regulations in Japan defining a “microcar.” That’s distinct from even the small kei car. Microcars benefit from lower insurance rates, no required inspections, and freedom from some other local regulations. The second most important part is pricing. Priced at roughly the equivalent of $7,650, the MiBot is less than half the price of the Sakura.
KG Motors
MiBot, like Slate Auto, is filling a gap that legacy automakers seem to be content to ignore
We won’t be so bold as to suggest the MiBot would be a pragmatic choice, or at all successful, Stateside. We also recognize that there isn’t anything quite analogous to a microcar that exists in the US. However, with KG Motors seeing a positive response in a country that otherwise eschews electrification in favor of gas — or nothing at all — it seems that pricing is perhaps a bigger factor than legacy automakers realize. Slate Auto is seeing a hugely successful reservation period, and the two share a common approach: few frills, and a price that undercuts everyone else, especially legacy automakers.
KG Motors
Final thoughts
In an interview with Bloomberg, KG Motors said the “first batch” of MiBots will allow the company to “break even,” financially speaking. Following reservation fulfillments, the MiBot makers will start churning these little guys out at a rate of 10,000 units per year. It’s important to remember that Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, sold around 2,000 EVs total in Japan last year. Price isn’t everything, but we have a feeling keeping it low is a big boost for little cars like the MiBot in Japan, and value-packed offerings from companies like Slate in the US.
