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Jun 16 2011 25 Comments

Japan’s cutest or crappiest electric car?

Considering the cries of kawaii that greeted this unusual little convoy as it slowly moved along the street, cute may already be the general consensus.

However, what isn’t open to any debate is that these all-electric ad cars are not only compact and quiet.

Japanese electric ad car

But also incredibly (or should that be horribly?) colourful.

Japanese electric ad car

Categorized: Odd, Technology Stuff

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Simon says

    6/16/2011 at 2:16 pm

    Sometime, when I’m really crabby, I just get sick of this cuteness obsession.

    Reply
    • Calissaja says

      6/16/2011 at 5:48 pm

      Only when you’re crabby? I hate it, I wish the Japanese would grow up, and I’d happily drive a tank over that lot. See? And I’m not crabby at all today (although I did just get my health insurance bill, so maybe just a little).

      Reply
      • Lee says

        6/16/2011 at 7:39 pm

        Sometimes I can deal with, but at other times, crabby or not, I can’t…

        Reply
  2. Jamaipanese says

    6/16/2011 at 2:19 pm

    god forbid one of these cuties gets introduced to an 18 wheeler…

    Reply
    • sublight says

      6/16/2011 at 3:12 pm

      I know people like to trot that line out every time a new compact is released, but you realize even a Chevy Suburban is going to be toast if an 18-wheeler hits it, don’t you?

      Reply
      • Jamaipanese says

        6/16/2011 at 10:39 pm

        come on, of course I know that, it was only a crappy analogy in jest.

        Reply
  3. [Gm] says

    6/16/2011 at 2:37 pm

    Well, it’s an advertisement/campaign… so, it has to be eye-catching.
    I wouldn’t call it cute, but definitely not crappy as well :D..

    Reply
    • Jeffrey says

      6/17/2011 at 2:06 am

      And annoying as they may be, probably much more effective as advertising than the planes flying over with load speakers blaring garbled crap that I’m pretty sure not even native speakers can understand.

      Reply
  4. Lori says

    6/16/2011 at 4:21 pm

    How obnoxiously cute. *cue circus music*

    Reply
  5. Biggie says

    6/16/2011 at 4:28 pm

    aww, I’m going all waku-waku now.

    Reply
  6. James says

    6/16/2011 at 5:04 pm

    i dunno about “crappiest” but i sure don’t find it cute. what IS it? is it made of … paper?

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/16/2011 at 7:40 pm

      Paper, with the odd bits of aluminium I think!

      Reply
  7. NihonBurp says

    6/16/2011 at 5:28 pm

    Electric cars are quite a nice idea but I would recommend making them out of something other than cardboard. Also I think the driver’s face conveys how they know they look silly

    Reply
  8. jamie smith says

    6/16/2011 at 5:44 pm

    how fast this car? i believe its better than walking. 😀

    Reply
    • Lee says

      6/16/2011 at 7:42 pm

      Not sure to be honest. I only saw them navigate the corner, which they did at what can only be described as a leisurely pace.

      Reply
    • [Gm] says

      6/16/2011 at 8:48 pm

      According to the website (if I deciphered it correctly using Google Translate):
      Maximum speed of 50km/hour, with cruising range of 35km per charge.
      *Please correct me if I’m wrong.

      I think bicycle is a better option for me.
      But, perhaps this is good for elderly?

      Reply
      • Lee says

        6/16/2011 at 8:55 pm

        Just had a look, and yeah, that’s right.

        It’d be alright for popping to the shops I suppose. Providing of course the shops are near, and you don’t really want to buy anything!

        Reply
  9. winnie says

    6/16/2011 at 10:59 pm

    Hahaha.. it is very cute(kawaii…) but it’s impractical.
    This maybe advertisement of their website?!

    I believe bicycle is more useful than this cute car.
    Maybe walking/running the best.

    Reply
  10. Linette says

    6/16/2011 at 11:41 pm

    I would much rather look at a cute car than any billboard, even a cute billboard.

    Reply
  11. Jeffrey says

    6/17/2011 at 2:05 am

    “However, what isn’t open to any debate is that these all-electric ad cars are not only compact and quiet.”

    They also aren’t cars. They’re the equivalent of golf carts – hardly new or earth-shattering technology. In fact, as golf carts accommodate two people, two sets of clubs AND a cooler of beer, these aren’t even that practical.

    Reply
  12. Lizzy says

    6/17/2011 at 6:23 am

    Oh my goodness I want that car! 😀

    Reply
    • Cedric says

      6/19/2011 at 10:09 pm

      I would so run you over with my mamachari 🙂

      Reply
  13. Mr. S. says

    6/17/2011 at 9:32 pm

    Oh, I can handle most of the cute. I can handle the pink gimcrack. I can handle the adult women who make me feel indecent, though THEY chose to look twelve. I can handle the peace-signs by my mother-in-law, in photographs. I cannot handle the ‘men’ looking cuter than their GFs. On the train this morning, I realized I was the only guy who doesn’t work on his eyebrows (ok, I avoid the uni-brow and the Murayama, but that’s it).
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zKBbtj9rWrU/SZ2km8JM0uI/AAAAAAAAA34/r-LTtSo07Wc/s400/Murayama+.jpg

    Reply
  14. WildwestGoh says

    6/18/2011 at 12:05 pm

    Jokes aside, but I think they’re for promoting something rather than being cute and all, could be another way aside from TV, papers and Internet, now the media “run around”.

    Reply
  15. S in Shanghai says

    6/21/2011 at 12:28 am

    Looks like something from a CARtoon.

    Reply

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