© 2024 New Atlas
Automotive

Kowa and tmsuk join forces to create Kobot concept electric vehicles

By Darren Quick
December 01, 2011
Kowa and tmsuk join forces to create Kobot concept electric vehicles
The three-strong range of Kobot concept electric vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show
The three-strong range of Kobot concept electric vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show
View 85 Images
1/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
2/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
3/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
4/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
5/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
6/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
7/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle
8/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
9/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle
10/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
11/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
12/85
13/85
The three-strong range of Kobot concept electric vehicles
14/85
The three-strong range of Kobot concept electric vehicles
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
15/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
16/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
17/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
18/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
19/85
20/85
21/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
22/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
23/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
24/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
25/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
26/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
27/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle
28/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
29/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle
30/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
31/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The three-strong range of Kobot concept electric vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show
32/85
The three-strong range of Kobot concept electric vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
33/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
34/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
35/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
36/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
37/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
38/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot ν (Nu) concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
39/85
The Kobot ν (Nu) concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
40/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
41/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
42/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
43/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
44/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
45/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle
46/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
47/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
48/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
49/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
50/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
51/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
52/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu and Kobot beta concept vehicles at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
53/85
The Kobot Nu and Kobot beta concept vehicles at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
54/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
55/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
56/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
57/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
58/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
59/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
60/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
61/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
62/85
63/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
64/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
65/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
66/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
67/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
68/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
69/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
70/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
71/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
72/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
73/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
74/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
75/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
76/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
77/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
78/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
79/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
80/85
The Kobot II concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
81/85
The Kobot beta concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
82/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
83/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
84/85
The Kobot Nu concept vehicle at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show
85/85
View gallery - 85 images

In February of this year, TMSUK - the Japanese robotics company behind service robots such as the telerobotic shopper and the Showa Hanako 2 robotic dental patient - partnered up with pharmaceuticals and electro-optronics company Kowa to develop environmentally friendly electric vehicles for urban transportation. The Kowa-TMSUK joint venture isn't even a year old yet has managed to produce not one, not two, but three eye-catching concept vehicles that have made their world debut at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.

The concept vehicles on display include the one-seater Kobot ν (Nu) and Kobot β (beta), and the two-seater Kobot II. All are electric vehicles designed to ease the congestion in crowded city centers or for use by tourists in environmentally sensitive sightseeing areas. The company envisions parking lots being provided at the periphery of city centers or tourist spots with the vehicles providing local emission free transport into said city center or tourist area. The vehicles are also aimed at car-sharing schemes that would see the vehicles rented from train stations or tourist spots.

The already compact size of the one-seater vehicles can be further reduced when parking thanks to a telescoping design that sees the vehicles' rear wheel and seat folding into the front of the vehicle with a push of a button on a smartphone application. In their compacted form, the vehicles can also nest together to further reduce the space needed to store them when parked. When some protection from the elements or an extra seat is needed, customers can opt for the (only slightly) larger Kobot II. All three vehicles are extremely agile with tight turning circles and the company says they are easier to learn to drive than a motorcycle.

No word on whether the Kowa-TMSUK joint venture has plans to take the vehicles into production but the backing of the two company partners and the effort and investment that has gone to producing the three concept vehicles inside a year suggests the company is serious about its electric vehicles.

View gallery - 85 images

Tags

AutomotiveConcept CarsElectric VehiclesTokyo Motor Show 2011Tmsuk
5 comments
Darren Quick
Darren Quick
Darren's love of technology started in primary school with a Nintendo Game & Watch Donkey Kong (still functioning) and a Commodore VIC 20 computer (not still functioning). In high school he upgraded to a 286 PC, and he's been following Moore's law ever since. This love of technology continues as Managing Editor of New Atlas.

Most Viewed

Load More
5 comments
yrag
I\'m an enthusiastic supporter of compact and innovative vehicles, but these these childish candy colored scooters are going to be a total turn-off in Western countries. No guy, and I doubt any adult females are going to want to be seen in these kiddie cars.
Sorry, I think they demean a potentially valid category.
Τριαντάφυλλος Καραγιάννης
I have quite a few reservations about all 3 concepts.
All of them make sub-optimal use of the space they take up on the road. To me they look more of a design statement than the product of some actual automotive design, taking into account the actual (and evolving) needs of a commuter.
The three-wheelers... I wonder if they even drove them to the stage. What about cornering (do they lean?)? Does anybody at that company ride a bike? Practicality seems very dubious as well. The 4-wheeler lacks practicality as well. Protruding wheels are a no-no. It means you take up space on the road that you don\'t take advantage of (be it batteries, mechanical parts or passenger/luggage space). Not to mention that the wheels become immediately more susceptible to all sorts of abuse leading to misalignment (bumps by other vehicles / to obstacles).
I could go on to suggest more things, but let\'s not put them to scrutiny so early in their commercial lives.
Alan Belardinelli
@yrag. I am not sure about that.
In a world where PBR tall-boys are fetching $2 US because hipsters find terrible beer ironicly cool and stylish, no one knows what the next big thing will be. The Japanese have been exporting \"cool\" for years and by the time these things come to market a whole generation of anime cos-play weened kids will decide what the coolest new ride is.
My prediction is that these vehicles do stand a chance. A really smart thing would be to offer personalization profiles that would travel with the user on their smart phone and then be reflected on any fleet vehicle that the user stepped onto.
BigGoofyGuy
I wish some would not say \'no guy\' as if they asked every guy in the USA and none said they would like it.
I am a guy and think it would be cool to drive them; especially the Smart like vehicle. I think they look like they came from a scify movie.
5wiglets
Segways look dorky. If they remodelled them, or allowed custom remodelling they could get somewhere. This article says to me, \"business idea\". Make \"cases\" for segways, like mobile phone skins. Segway roman chariot, Seway tie fighter.....