EVsmart blog Comfortable electric vehicles and quick chargers Toyota "C + pod" general sales start "Maybe it's better to wait until spring to buy" Popular articles Recent posts Category

General sales started as announced a year ago

Toyota released "C+pod" on December 25, 2020, the day of Christmas. At that time, sales targets were limited to corporate users and local governments, and it was said that they would proceed with "building a system for dissemination, such as building a new business model." And there was also an announcement that it will start for individuals in 2022.

[Related article] Toyota launches ultra-compact EV "Seapod"-Ultra-compact but a big step toward electrification (December 26, 2020)

About a year later, on December 23rd, when the end of the year 2021 was approaching, Toyota announced the general sales of the Seapod. As announced one year ago, the car has come out.

The price is 1,650,000 yen for grade "X" and 1,716,000 yen for "G", both including tax. The standard colors are white for the body and doors and black for the roof. You can choose between 5 two-tone colors and 3 three-tone colors. This is exactly the same as for corporations.

The specifications of the car are introduced in detail in the past article of the EVsmart blog mentioned above. Here we only introduce the size and power of the car.

●Total length x width x height: 2490mm x 1290mm x 1550mm ●Vehicle weight: G/690kg X/670kg ●Maximum output/maximum torque: 9.2kW/56Nm ●Cruising range on one charge: 150km (WLTC mode value class 1) ●Battery Capacity: 9.06 kWh (177.6 V/51 Ah, 48 cells) ● Maximum speed: 60 km/h ● Drive system: RR ● Riding capacity: 2 people

Lease prices vary by store

So, where can I buy a Seapod?

According to the release, although some stores do not handle it, you can buy it at any Toyota vehicle dealer or rental store. In addition, in the spring of 2022, Toyota's subscription "KINTO" will start handling. The handling price at KINTO has not been announced yet.

Also, even if you can buy it, at the moment, the only sales method is a lease contract. At the time of its launch last year, it was aimed at "creating a system for popularization", so it probably expanded the maintenance service of the car, but when it comes to selling to individuals, the range that must be covered will be further expanded. Uka

Maybe you want to keep users within a certain range, such as battery recycling issues, or resales that make it impossible to track users and dispose of cars unmanageable. Still, I think it would be nice if the sales destinations expanded a little more in order to raise awareness of the ultra-compact EV genre.

In regards to how much the lease price will be, the Toyota head office has not made it clear, except that it will vary depending on the dealer. According to Toyota's public relations, in the case of leasing, the price varies depending on the contract details set by the dealer, so it cannot be indicated in the release.

For example, the monthly fee will change depending on the frequency and content of inspections during the contract period, as well as the contract period. I don't know the details unless I ask the store.

In that case, I thought I'd ask a nearby store to get a little estimate, but on December 29th, when I was thinking of writing this manuscript, all nearby stores were closed for the year-end and New Year holidays. I was in. The store is expected to open on January 8th. I had no choice but to wait until the new year.

I haven't sold much yet! ?

So, from here on, I'm writing an additional manuscript for the New Year.

Since 2022 is over, I called some dealers in Tokyo where I live and asked about the lease price.

Before the call, I unexpectedly found that it would be quicker to go to a dealership, so I stopped by a Toyota Mobility Tokyo dealership and asked, "Do you sell Seapods?" I thought Tokyo would be easy to understand. Toyota Mobility Tokyo is directly managed by Toyota.

It looked sweet.

Surprisingly, the person at the store didn't know about "Seapod". I was asked, "Well, what is that?" It was a small, two-seater electric car, but I was told, "I don't know at home." It's a pity that the shop has a normal charger that can be used until 5 pm.

I was shocked by this, and thought that it was not the time to visit one store at a time, so I decided to call various stores in Tokyo. Then, wherever I called, I knew the "Seapod" properly. So what was the first shop I went to? Was it troublesome to take him seriously because he was wearing training clothes with a tennis racket in his bag?

Anyway, there didn't seem to be many retailers selling Seapods for individuals at the moment.

In addition to Toyota Mobility Tokyo, which is directly managed by Toyota, Tokyo has longtime local dealers such as Netz Toyota Toto, Toyota Nishi Tokyo Corolla, and Netz Toyota Tama. Of these, as of January 10, Toyota West Tokyo Corolla was the only one that was dealing with leasing of "Seapod" for individuals and had an immediate response on the price. Other than that, basically they have not started for individuals yet.

It seems that there is no such thing as you can't buy it as an individual. Toyota Mobility Tokyo, which is directly managed by Toyota, was clearly only for corporate customers, but other local dealers have various individual connections, so there is no way for individuals to buy. However, the process can be quite complicated and expensive. This depends on the store.

But still. In Toyota's release, there was a note that "some dealers do not handle it", but it is extremely regrettable that some dealers that do not handle it are directly managed by Toyota. What's more, if Mr. Kei Tani was alive, he would probably say, 'Gacho!

So, the monthly lease fee I heard at a Toyota West Tokyo Corolla affiliated store that answered the price immediately over the phone is roughly 37,000 to 40,000 yen for a five-year lease period. is what they said. This includes regular inspections and inspection fees.

This is expensive. If it is 37,000 yen for 5 years, it will be about 2,220,000 yen. Since the vehicle body price starts from 1.65 million yen, it will be higher than that. Since it is a lease, nothing remains at hand when the contract period ends. By the way, at KINTO, Aqua starts at 19,910 yen.

It's not great, but it's not a price setting that makes you want it!

On the other hand, it seems that this store is receiving quite a lot of inquiries, so there is no doubt that it is attracting a lot of attention. But if you hear this lease fee, everyone seems to be a don. The people at the shop were also smiling bitterly.

I would really like to know how many of these cars Toyota is planning to sell. Dozens of cars per month wouldn't be a funny joke.

It is wise to wait until spring before buying

Then, what is the best way to buy a "Seapod" for individuals from now on? When I asked about it, all the people at the shop were very kind and taught me. Summarizing what we've heard, we come to the following conclusions:

You should wait until spring to buy

The biggest reason is that the lease contract procedure for individuals is complicated.

At the moment, it is basically going through Toyota Rent-a-Lease, so it seems that the screening and procedures are quite troublesome for individuals. For this reason, several people told me that it is quite difficult to make a lease contract individually.

In addition, although it is a little special, I heard that Netz Toyota Tama will start its own leasing from April. If this is the case, the procedure will be easier than going through Toyota Rent-a-Lease. Either way, it's spring.

In addition, although it is only dealer information, even if you buy "Seapod" now, delivery will be in April. At the moment, there is a strong sense of test sales, and Toyota seems to be fumbling around to confirm the situation.

If that's the case, KINTO will start handling "Seapod" after April, so wouldn't it be wise to wait until then? KINTO is a system for individuals, so the procedure is much easier than a normal lease contract.

Also, the price of KINTO has not been released yet, but multiple dealers also said that it may be cheaper than a normal lease contract.

At any rate, it seems better to wait until the situation has calmed down a little more than to sign a contract in a hurry.

Still, the high price is undeniable. As for how far the price will go down with KINTO, it will be difficult to see many "Seapods" in the city with the current lease fee of just under 40,000 yen per month. I just want the price that I worked hard to come out a little more.

Comparison with COMS and Ami

So, let me just give you a brief recap of ultra-compact mobility. As explained in detail in the previous article, the big difference from minicars is that the passenger capacity is limited to two people. Of course the size of the car is also different, but you can tell by looking at it.

By the way, speaking of small EVs, Toyota has a representative model called "COMS". Since it is classified as a minicar (first-class motorized bicycle), there are restrictions on the rated output of 0.6 kW or less and the riding capacity of 1 person. However, there is no difference in the size restrictions between minicars and type-designated ultra-compact mobility.

By the way, the size of "COMS" and "Seapod" are like this.

● COMS (P・COM) Length 2395mm x Width 1095mm x Height 1500mm ● Seapod Length 2490mm x Width 1290mm x Height 1550mm

The width is slightly different due to the passenger capacity, but it is almost the same.

If you turn your eyes to Europe, there is a representative model of a small EV called Citroen's "ami". "Ami" is a standard vehicle called "Quadricycle léger à moteur" (a light motorized quadricycle) in France and other countries. , Above all, you can drive from the age of 14 in France and 16 in the EU without a license.

[Related article] Ultra-compact EV seen at an electronics store in France ~ Presence of Citroen "Ami" (August 5, 2021)

The biggest difference is the price. "Seapod" starts at 1,650,000 yen, while "COMS" starts at 799,537 yen. And "Ami" is a bargain with a vehicle price of 6000 euros (about 780,000 yen) including tax including deductions for eco-friendly vehicles, but in France, a long-term rental contract is 2644 euros (about 350,000 yen) for a down payment and 19.99 per month. You can get a car as a means of transportation at a low price of euro (about 2700 yen).

Even in Japan, if you go to rural areas, there are countless areas where it is difficult to live on foot or by bicycle. Nowadays, in such areas, light cars that can go over 100 km/h in daily life may become excessive vehicles. On the other hand, there are areas where you can run 10km to a gas station.

At times like that, if you have a vehicle that can be charged at home, has decent performance, and is reasonably priced, wouldn't it make your life more colorful?

So from the bottom of my heart, I wish the Seapod was cheaper. Considering the aging social situation and changes in the infrastructure of local cities, what kind of applications will be covered by ultra-compact mobility, what kind of specifications are necessary for that purpose, and what kind of options should be used? There are so many things to think about.

It's a car with 4 wheels, so it's easier for 2 people to ride than 1 person, and considering the ease of handling, I think it's suitable for the elderly to walk on a daily basis. But when it comes to 1.7 million yen, you can buy a new light car. You can buy a normal car as a used car.

Recently, the leasing price has come to be in the range of several thousand yen to 10,000 yen. Compared to that, the monthly fee of less than 40,000 yen is ridiculously expensive.

This is an EV in the ultra-compact mobility field. I want it to be a package that sells even a little and raises awareness. I can't help but wonder if Toyota can do it.

(Interview and text / Ryuitsu Kino)

* Corrected the total lease fee (January 11, 2022)