Toyota has just launched a three-wheeled battery-powered scooter designed to help people with limited mobility. Named C+Walk T, the standing-type electric scooter has a low base, which is only 150mm high for easy boarding and alighting. It is primarily meant for use in walking areas and facilitates side-by-side travel and communication with fellow pedestrians. The Japanese automobile giant said the scooter takes less space — almost what a person occupies — and travels at a typical human walking speed, reducing the possibility of you running into people and objects. Still, Toyota has equipped the scooter with obstacle detection functions to help avoid collisions, in case you get distracted.
The company outlined its features in a statement, saying this vehicle, which has one front and two rear wheels, can be used by people working at large-scale facilities to commute inside the campus, and by elderly people, who find it difficult to walk for more than a few minutes, to ease their commute. Security staffers and tour guides, who have to walk for a long duration, can use it inside parks and other expansive facilities.
The vehicle is powered by a removable lithium-ion battery, which can be fully charged in about 2.5 hours using the AC 100 V charging device that comes with the vehicle. The vehicle can cover a distance of 14km on a single battery charge. The C+Walk T’s steering handle has accelerator and brake levers on either side. The status display panel shows battery levels and speeds at a glance.
The latest offering by the carmakers is equipped with a turning speed control function. This feature will help detect steering angles and check speed. Apart from this, the battery-powered scooter also comes with a steep slope detector. It will automatically decelerate the vehicle on steep downhills. And the tires are puncture-proof, so no worries about a deflated wheel mid-way.
Toyota has set the price of the electric scooter in the range of JPY 341,000 (roughly Rs. 2.27 lakhs) to JPY 354,200 (roughly Rs. 2.36 lakhs).