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Would you drive this tiny, fabric-bodied electric car?

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A Japanese company named Rimono has introduced an experimental, battery-electric two-seater developed specifically to navigate the world’s most crowded mega-cities.

Called simply Rimono, the 86-inch-long concept blurs the line between a car and a scooter. When viewed from a distance, it stands out thanks to a friendly design characterized by a grille-less front end, round headlights, and a two-tone blue and beige paint job. However, the most striking aspect of the Rimono is that its body is made entirely out of a waterproof material called polyester cotton. That’s the same type of fabric generally used to manufacture tarps.

The minimalist treatment continues inside, where the Rimono offers space for either two adults or one adult and two kids. The steering is commanded through a scooter-like handlebar, and the instrument cluster is made up of a pair of gauges that look like they came out of a kiddy car. An iPad mounted directly behind the handlebar replaces the traditional infotainment system that’s usually found in bigger cars.

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Power for the Rimono is provided by a 6.8-horsepower electric motor that draws electricity from a four-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, according to Motor1. The two-seater has a top speed of 28 mph, and it can drive for up to 31 miles on a single charge. That’s not much on paper, but it’s enough to cover a day’s worth of errands in big cities. To be on the safe side, Rimono is developing a battery pack that can be easily swapped out when it’s depleted.

Read more: Toyota wants your family to keep the wood-bodied Setsuna for a century

Rimono explains that its fabric-bodied city car is merely a concept built to gauge the public’s reaction, at least for the time being. The company will continue to fine-tune its first creation, and it expects that production will kick off in the summer of 2017. Pricing information hasn’t been announced yet, but the Rimono is unlikely to make the trip across the Pacific.

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Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon
Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
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