WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

Invented by the Tokyo-based company Cocoa Motors, WALKCAR is probably the world’s smallest and lightest urban electric vehicle that you can carry around like a compact laptop. The vehicle, which the manufacturer calls a portable car, weighs only 2.9 kg (6.4 lbs) and has the same size as a 13-inch laptop. It offers a new lifestyle that is not dependent on any transportation network.

WALKCAR gives you a completely new experience. You can choose to walk or ride WALKCAR at any time, and when you don’t use it, you can put the vehicle into a bag like a laptop or a large book. The four sensors installed inside the standing surface let users control the basic maneuvers as they shift their weight to accelerate, decelerate, and turn without using a handle or a remote controller. And it automatically stops when you get off the vehicle.

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

For the WALKCAR, Cocoa Motors developed the world’s smallest in-wheel motor. The body is wholly integrated through welding that reduced the space for screws and maximized the coil space to the extreme. It drives at a speed of bicycles at 16 km/h (10 mph) and can drive up slopes of up to 10 degrees.

Travel distance on a full charge is about 7 km (4.4 mi) in normal mode or 5 km (3.1 mi) in sports mode, which is a good result. But the bad news is that WALKCAR needs smooth pavements, or the ride could be quite bumpy and unsafe.

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

WALKCAR — Electric Vehicle You Can Carry Around Like a Laptop

And finally the price. WALKCAR costs ¥198,000 (about $1,800), which is much more than most urban electric vehicles you can buy. Moreover, now it is available for pre-order in Japan only.