{"id":1976,"date":"2025-06-08T23:24:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T23:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/?p=1976"},"modified":"2025-06-10T10:28:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T10:28:39","slug":"this-ev-fits-in-the-back-of-a-van-and-costs-less-than-the-federal-tax-credit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/08\/this-ev-fits-in-the-back-of-a-van-and-costs-less-than-the-federal-tax-credit\/","title":{"rendered":"This EV Fits In The Back Of A Van And Costs Less Than The Federal Tax Credit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image lazyload\" alt=\"\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/mibot-hfj-1024x577-1.jpg\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<ul>\n<li>The Mibot comes from KG Motors, a Japanese company founded just three years ago.<\/li>\n<li>The 98-inch-long Mibot offers 62 miles (100 km) of range and a 37 mph top speed.<\/li>\n<li>Local pricing for the Mibot starts at just 1 million yen, or approximately $7,000 USD.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>When you picture a tiny electric car weaving through tight urban streets, your brain probably goes straight to China. Fair enough, as the country&rsquo;s been churning out budget EVs like it&rsquo;s a national sport. But a small <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/tag\/japan\/\">Japanese<\/a> startup is now stepping into the spotlight, aiming to shake up its home market with an even smaller electric city car.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-placement\">\n<div id=\"82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\tvar adpushup = window.adpushup  = window.adpushup || {que:[]};<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tadpushup.que.push(function() {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tif (adpushup.config.platform !== &#8220;DESKTOP&#8221;){<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;0f7e3106-c4d6-4db4-8135-c508879a76f8&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t} else {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;82503191-e1d1-435a-874f-9c78a2a54a2f&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Meet the Mibot, a pint-sized electric car from KG Motor. It&rsquo;s even smaller than a Kei car and roughly matches the Citroen Ami in stature, which is another way of saying that you won&rsquo;t be squeezing a suitcase inside &ndash; or another person, for that matter, since it only seats one. It&rsquo;s so small, in fact, that KG Motors demonstrated it can fit inside the back of a Toyota HiAce van.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Read: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2025\/05\/japans-top-car-importer-its-now-a-japanese-brand\/\">Japan&rsquo;s Top Car Importer? It&rsquo;s Now A Japanese Brand<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>According to company founder Kazunari Kusunoki, modern &ldquo;cars are simply too big&rdquo; and he wanted to create something better suited to Japan&rsquo;s narrow streets. The Mibot is just 2,490 mm (98 inches) long and has a small battery pack that gives it 62 miles (100 km) of range. That may not sound like much, but as an EV to drive exclusively in a tightly-packed city, or a small village, it should be adequate. The top speed is limited to 37 mph (60 km\/h).<\/p>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"taboola-mid-article-thumbnails-organic\"><\/div>\n<section class=\"type:slideshow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><\/section>\n<p>Kusunoki founded KG Motors in June 2022 and has already sold 2,250 examples. Oftentimes, it takes new Chinese brands just a matter of minutes to shift &ldquo;several thousand examples of a newly-launched EV, but as far as Japanese brands go, KG Motors is doing a very good job. In fact, in 2024, Toyota only managed to sell roughly 2,000 EVs in Japan. It&rsquo;s not just local brands that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/2025\/01\/japans-ev-sales-crash-by-33-in-2024-but-foreign-brands-shine\/\">struggle to sell EVs in Japan<\/a>. BYD, despite its growing global footprint, managed only around 2,200 deliveries in Japan last year.<\/p>\n<p>KG Motors currently has the capacity to build 3,300 units by March 2027. One thing working in the Mibot&rsquo;s favor? The price. It comes in at just &yen;1 million, or about $6,900 at current exchange rates, or a fraction of <em>Slate Auto&rsquo;s<\/em> $28,000 electric pickup, and hilariously, even less than the $7,500 federal credit that truck is banking on. <\/p>\n<p>That puts the Mibot firmly in impulse-buy territory, especially for anyone who just wants a no-fuss commuter or something to zip around the neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p>The firm&rsquo;s founder hopes that the Mibot can change perceptions about EVs in Japan. &ldquo;Toyota said EVs aren&rsquo;t the only solution and, because it&rsquo;s Toyota, Japanese people assume it must be true,&rdquo; Kusunoki told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-05-28\/this-7-000-single-seat-electric-car-has-become-a-hit-in-japan?srnd=phx-hyperdrive\">Bloomberg<\/a> in a recent interview. &ldquo;A large number of people in Japan seem to believe EVs won&rsquo;t become popular.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Once the initial batch of 3,300 is sold, KG Motors plans to scale up quickly, with a target of producing 10,000 units annually. That&rsquo;s an ambitious leap, but if early sales are any indication, the appetite for small, simple EVs might just be bigger than anyone expected.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-placement\">\n<div id=\"9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"> <\/div>\n<div id=\"bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"> <\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\tvar adpushup = window.adpushup  = window.adpushup || {que:[]};<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tadpushup.que.push(function() {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tif (adpushup.config.platform !== &#8220;DESKTOP&#8221;){<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t} else {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"type:slideshow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazy \" data-src=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" alt=\"\" src=\"\" data-type=\"inarticle-image\" \/><\/section>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Photos KG Motors<\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DH8M70-zaTc\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\"background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;margin: 1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:99.375%;width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);width:calc(100% - 2px)\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DH8M70-zaTc\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\"background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <\/p>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row;align-items: center\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 40px;margin-right: 14px;width: 40px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 100px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 60px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px\">\n<div style=\"color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px;flex-grow: 0;margin-right: 14px;margin-left: 2px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 20px;width: 20px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 2px solid transparent;border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom: 2px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center;margin-bottom: 24px\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 224px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 144px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DH8M70-zaTc\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\"color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by mibot&#12304;KG&#12514;&#12540;&#12479;&#12540;&#12474;&#12305; (@mibot_kg)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DKPM52nzY3a\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\"background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;margin: 1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:99.375%;width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px);width:calc(100% - 2px)\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DKPM52nzY3a\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\"background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <\/p>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row;align-items: center\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 40px;margin-right: 14px;width: 40px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 100px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 60px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px\">\n<div style=\"color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px;flex-grow: 0;margin-right: 14px;margin-left: 2px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 20px;width: 20px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 2px solid transparent;border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom: 2px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center;margin-bottom: 24px\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 224px\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 144px\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DKPM52nzY3a\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" style=\"color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post shared by mibot&#12304;KG&#12514;&#12540;&#12479;&#12540;&#12474;&#12305; (@mibot_kg)<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-placement\">\n<div id=\"9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"> <\/div>\n<div id=\"bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c\" class=\"_ap_apex_ad\"> <\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\tvar adpushup = window.adpushup  = window.adpushup || {que:[]};<br \/>\n\t\t\t\tadpushup.que.push(function() {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tif (adpushup.config.platform !== &#8220;DESKTOP&#8221;){<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;bb7964e9-07de-4b06-a83e-ead35079d53c&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t} else {<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadpushup.triggerAd(&#8220;9b1169d9-7a89-4971-a77f-1397f7588751&#8221;);<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t}<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t});<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Mibot comes from KG Motors, a Japanese company founded just three years ago. The 98-inch-long Mibot offers 62 miles &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/08\/this-ev-fits-in-the-back-of-a-van-and-costs-less-than-the-federal-tax-credit\/\" class=\"more-link\"><span class=\"more-button\">Continue Reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">This EV Fits In The Back Of A Van And Costs Less Than The Federal Tax Credit<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1976"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1976"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1979,"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1976\/revisions\/1979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/seabrave.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}