Toyota has announced the release of the C+walk. It’s a standing-type model that slots into the C+walk walking-area mobility series, which will also include seated-type and wheelchair-linked-type vehicles.
The Japanese automaker’s three-wheeled stand-up electric mobility scooter comes with a low, flat base of 5.9 in (150 mm) and a compact design that makes it suitable for use in walking areas, facilitating side-by-side travel and communication with fellow pedestrians. It measures 700 mm (27.5 inches) in length, 450 mm (17.7 inches) in width, 1,210 mm (47.6 inches) in height, and it weighs almost 29 kg. It is designed to support rider weights up to 100 kg, its resin body comes in a two-tone finish, and each of the three wheels is wrapped in puncture-proof tires.
A removable lithium-ion battery allows the C+walk to travel about 14km on a single charge, and it needs some 2.5 hours to recharge from zero to full. Users can set the scooter’s maximum traveling speed via a speed adjustment switch, and can choose between five different options, ranging from 2 to 6km/h, with an additional 10km/h setting for experienced users.
The electric scooter is equipped with obstacle detection functions that help avoid collisions with obstacles or pedestrians ahead. The system offers both a visual alert on the display panel and an audio alert and decelerates the vehicle to approximately 2 km/h (1.2 mph) to help prevent collisions with other users, obstacles, and pedestrians.
Toyota has designed the C+walk for comfortable use in walking areas, side-by-side travel, and communication with fellow pedestrians.
Initially, the automaker envisions the scooter helping elderly workers travel across large-scale facilities such as warehouses, factories, and airport terminals. It could also be used on activity tours taking place inside parks and other facilities. In the future, the company hopes the Japanese government will certify the C+ walk for use on public roads (under existing laws it’s not permitted on public streets or sidewalks), in which case it would support people who find it hard to walk long distances.
Toyota automobile dealers in Japan start selling and leasing the C+walk in Japan at a starting price of ¥341,000 (just under $3,100). There’s no word on whether the C+ walk will see a commercial release outside of Japan at this point.
