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In this economical depression, many Japanese people try to save gas, for example, by switching their commuting transportation from car to bicycle or train.

Now, they are presented one more option by Waseda Environmental Institute.

It is an ultra-light electric vehicle called the ULV, developed by Wasrda University’s Nagata Laboratory, as a one-person eco-car based on the concept of “more than a bike, less than a car”.

“The ULV can be charged in four hours. It has a 400 W motor and a top speed of 40 km/h, and it can travel continuously for 80 km. The electric bill for charging the ULV is just 35 yen, and compared with the Prius, it costs 10 times less per kilometer.”

A researcher at the institute, Mayumi Nakamura said,

“As a way of using the ULV, for example, it could be driven around town as an advertising medium, for environmental publicity campaigns by business. Or in areas where train stations are a long way apart, it could be used instead of a rental bicycle, to get from one station to another.”
“We recently supplied the ULV as a delivery vehicle to a business in Honjo, Saitama. The business is an eel restaurant, so the front of the vehicle was customized to look like an eel’s head. This is really eye-catching on the road, and if the body is customized as well, we think the ULV could be used as an advertising medium.”

Since many Japanese restaurants deliver their food by motor bikes or bicycles, ULV may be good replacement for them.

This is JAPAN Style!

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