Daihatsu Pico

Tokyo Motor Show 2011

Automotive companies are always on the lookout for new technological feats. Sometimes with very serious and interesting intentions, sometimes just for fun. Not being very active in Europe anymore, it is interesting to see what this brand from the far east (or far far west, just as well) has come up with. In this case, not only the car but also the chance that it'll ever go into production is pico. As you can tell from the picture, this concept car is really in that concept stadium in which they use funky colors and weird designs. I mean, could you imagine this driving on the street right now? No, maybe in twenty years or so.


Nevertheless, what we're looking at here definitely is a funny little concept-car. The most interesting feature is the fact that it has an LED-illuminated bar all around it to interact with pedestrians. Through the use of colors and symbols (no idea what it says, probably something that sounds like sushi), it can warn people around the car that they are walking too closely, or it can illustrate that the car is going at an unsafe rate of speed. The bar turns red then. If all is well, the LED bar will stay green. There's other colours as well for all kinds of situations. The idea is that commuting in a small car in cities like Tokyo, with a lot of pedestrians, will become safer. 

The car has two seats, so you'll be able to take a colleague along to work. There are no seatbelts, but I guess they aren't needed because the top speed isn't much more than that of a scooter. The drive comes from an electric motor, with enough battery for 30 miles of driving. That should be enough in and around the city. There's just one thing that bothers me: they did forget a pair of full doors. But hey, at least it keeps your head cool and that's good for work.