KG Motors, which manufactures and sells the ultra-compact “mibot” EV, is moving toward mass production of the units. It will start mass production in October 2025 at an assembly plant it has built near its headquarters. The company plans to produce 300 units in FY2025, 3,000 units in FY2026, and 10,000 units in FY2027.
The mibot is a one-person vehicle designed for short-distance travel, with a range of 100 kilometers per charge. The planned price at the time of mass production is 1.1 million yen ($7,700 USD), including consumption tax.
The assembly plant in Higashi Hiroshima City consists of a single production line with a main line of seven processes and a subline of four processes. Since there are only a few parts, the number of processes is less than that of a normal automobile production line.
New models will be equipped with Software Defined Vehicle (SDV) functionality. The software that controls the car will be updated over-the-air (OTA). The goal is to personalize each car for each customer and add or improve functionality after the car is sold.
Source: The Nikkei
PSR Analysis: So-called EV ventures are currently enjoying a period of prosperity not only in Japan but also worldwide, and many ambitious venture companies are working on development. KG Motors, introduced here, is one of these companies, and it is almost unknown even in Japan. Their product concept is unique, and they specialize in ultra-compact cars. If you follow the link to the article, you can see a photo of the product, but it is very small, about the size of a one-person car. The road conditions in Japan are very different from those in Europe and America, and especially in urban areas there are many winding roads, so you have to stop and start a lot. For this reason, the market has historically developed around the segment of light vehicles with engines of 660cc or less, and it can be said that the small size is well received in the Japanese market. The mibot has become a leading player in the ultra-compact mobility vehicle market, achieving a reservation volume of 300 units in three days from the start of reservations on August 23 last year, and 1,000 units in about one month. PSR
Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research
