Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

Honda to test tablet-synced electric mini-car

The Japanese car company said its new "micro commuter prototype" will use a tablet to show dashboard readings, navigation

Honda will begin tests next year of a small electric vehicle that uses a driver's tablet for displaying dashboard readings, audio, navigation and images from its rearview camera, it said Tuesday.

The company's new "Micro Commuter Prototype" will also be able to charge its owner's tablet using solar panels built in to its roof. The prototype is an electric vehicle that seats a single driver and can reach speeds of 80 kilometers per hour, with a range of about 60 kilometers. It is 2.5 meters long, 1.25 meters wide and about 1.4 meters tall.

The car is similar in concept to Toyota's "Smart INSECT" concept shown at the Ceatec electronics show in October. That vehicle works with smartphones, providing a wireless charging pad and using their wireless connection to access Toyota's cloud services for cars.

Honda's concept has a dedicated slot on the dashboard for a tablet. The company has not said which tablets it will support when the car begins testing next year.

Honda said tests of the car, which also has a tiny back seat that can fit small children, "will verify the potential of the vehicle in various uses including supporting everyday short-distance transportation for families with small children and for senior citizens, home delivery services, commuting and car sharing."

The vehicle's motor, battery and mechanics will fit under the floor, allowing Honda to quickly develop different shells for the various types of customers it targets.

Honda's prototype can also be used with its home energy system, which can charge its electric vehicles efficiently but also allows them to function as batteries for home use when they are plugged into a home power grid.

Honda said its micro-commuter will be built to fit under standards being developed by the Japanese government for a new category of small vehicles. The company says the new car will also meet the requirements for Europe's "L7" category for quadricycles, which stipulate that a vehicle's weight does not exceed 400kg (excluding batteries for electric cars) and has a maximum engine output of 15kW.

Related Articles

  1. Sony to launch super-thin, flexible e-reader for universities

  2. Larry Page wants to see your medical records

  3. CMO interview: Becoming a change agent

    CMO

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

Comments are now closed.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: consumer electronics, Automotive, Honda, Handhelds / PDAs, industry verticals
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • How Web Security Improves Productivity and Compliance
    In this white paper, we will look at how secure web gateways, one type of information security technology, can provide benefits to many departments within any business or government agency. Download now.
    Learn more »
  • IDC: Delivering Customer Value with Enterprise Flash Deployments
    When it comes to flash, “one size does not fit all.” IDC examines recent flash trends in enterprise storage deployments. This includes: highlighting how SSDs are filling in gaps of existing storage systems when coupled with intelligent archiving and automated tiering, the pros and cons of different SSD approaches, and tips to overcome concerns of reliability, manageability and scalability.
    Learn more »
  • Top 10 tips for Migration
    As users bring multiple devices to the workplace, IT departments need to have a single view of all their mobile devices. Find out how to build a secure and reliable management platform for next generation mobile computing across multiple platforms. Click for more!
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.
Recent comments