Update: We’ve got a new collection of live snapshots featuring Toyota’s personalized mini-van from the auto show, which you can find below.
Toyota showcased a variety of offerings at the Japan Mobility Show 2023, including a highly customizable, pint-size van that “looks to a mobility future where people will have the freedom to live the life they want”.
The Kayoibako study is a fully electric compact van with a modular interior that can transport wheelchair users, become a camper van, or serve the needs of small businesses transforming into a delivery van, a mobile shop, and a shuttle bus.
The Kayoibako name comes from configurable shipping containers, communicating the versatile nature of the concept. The exterior design is rather simple, with a tall stance, single-box proportions, a split front windshield, futuristic LEDs, sliding doors, and narrow windows.
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Besides the white LCV-style spec, Toyota showed different versions of the Kayoibako, highlighting its adaptability. The most interesting is probably the wheelchair-accessible sporty-looking van featuring large-diameter wheels, red brake calipers, lowered suspension, and a black exterior shade. There are also renderings of an adventurous camper with roof-mounted equipment and grippier tires.
The highlight of the concept is the interior and the way it adapts to different use-case scenarios. The “ultra expandable” design as Toyota calls it, allows the single-seater cabin to be tailored for business or personal use, accommodating different kinds of shelves, boxes, or extra seating in the cargo area. Furthermore, clever software can make it a part of “smart grids and other intelligent social systems”.
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The interior has a length of 3,127 mm (123.1 inches), a width of 1,485 mm (58.5 inches), and a height of 1,437 mm (56.6 inches). This is quite impressive for a Yaris-sized van that measures 3,990 mm (157.1 inches) long, 1,790 mm (70.5 inches) wide, and 1,855 mm (73 inches) tall with a wheelbase of 2,800 mm (110 inches). The automaker didn’t share much information about the platform or the powertrain, other than saying it is a battery electric, zero-emission vehicle.
It is not clear if the Toyota Kayoibako is a futuristic design study or if it serves as a preview for the automaker’s next-generation LCVs but the research behind it could certainly be used for improving future products.
To delve deeper into the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, take a plunge into our extensive coverage over at our dedicated news hub right here.
