Honda to Test Micro EV

Honda Motor Co. says the latest version of its Micro Commuter concept car will begin road tests in Japan next year.

The electric three-seater (two adults or one adult and two children) measures slightly more than eight feet in length. The runabout's 15-kW battery can be recharged in less than three hours, providing a range of about 37 miles per charge and a top speed of 50 mph.

The car features a platform that can carry a variety of interchangeable bodies. Honda envisions the chassis being easily tailored for home delivery services, car-sharing schemes, small families or senior citizens.

The driver takes control of the car by plugging a personal tablet into the dashboard. The device may then display power level, navigation aids, audio controls and images from a back-up camera. The tablet itself can be recharged by solar cells embedded in the vehicle's roof.

Honda introduced an earlier and much zoomier concept of the Micro Commuter at the Tokyo auto show last year. The company describes this year's iteration as a possible entry in a new class of micro-sized urban vehicles being considered by regulators in Japan. An existing comparable category in Europe, called L7, is for four-wheeled vehicles that weigh no more than 400 kg (882 lbs) excluding the battery and have an output of 15 kW or less.