Okinawa’s New City Car? AIM’s EVM Is Small, Efficient, And Affordable

AIM, the Japanese company behind the EV Sport 01, has just introduced a new electric city car called the EVM. It’s a tiny two-seater, and the design comes from SN Design Platform, the studio run by Shiro Nakamura, who used to head Nissan’s design team.

They took inspiration from Shisa, the guardian deity of Okinawa, which explains the rounded headlights that kind of look like bulging eyes. The overall shape is clean and simple, with barely any overhangs, making it look neat and compact.

At just under 2.5 meters long and barely over 1.2 meters wide, it’s even smaller than a Smart ForTwo. Despite that, the cabin has enough room for two people and a bit of luggage. Inside, the AIM EVM is pretty straightforward. There’s a seven-inch touchscreen for infotainment, two small digital displays in the center, and a few physical controls on the center console and steering wheel to keep things easy to use.

Under the hood, there’s a 19-horsepower electric motor with 70 Nm of torque. Japan classifies it as an ultra-compact mobility vehicle, limiting its speed to 60 km/h (37 mph) and prohibiting its use on highways. The 10 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery gives it about 120 km (75 miles) of range, and a full charge takes five hours from a standard 200V outlet. It also comes with an external power supply port as standard, which is a nice touch.

The AIM EVM is set to go on sale in Okinawa this summer, with plans to expand across Japan. AIM is aiming to sell around 1,000 units a year, and pricing starts at 1.9 million yen, or about $12,500.