When we first drove Renault's tiny Twizy electric car on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza, we got the impression it'd be at its best in some of Europe's warmer climates.
In fact, it could be the ideal vacation island rental car. Simple to operate, economical to use, that wind-in-your-hair feeling... bliss.
Someone in Japan obviously agrees, as you can now rent the Nissan New Mobility Concept--a rebadged Twizy--on the Japanese island of Teshima, in the Kagawa Prefecture.
The island is only 11 miles in circumference, and its main road a mere 6.2 miles. Even with some of the island's steep slopes, that's small enough that the New Mobility Concept's range of 40-50 miles should be sufficient for several circumnavigations of Teshima.
You have to come back down those slopes anyway, meaning plenty of opportunities for braking regeneration, but a couple of charging points mean those with truly terrible range anxiety can still suppress their angst.
As explained on Nissan's Japanese blog, the Twizys (Twizies?) provide a more relaxed alternative to the bicycle rental scheme on the island, allowing visitors to reach the Teshima Art Museum on one of the island's higher points. It's also ideal for some of the island's very narrow roads.
It all seems rather utopian--a tiny secluded island, a museum of modern art and beautiful scenery, and a fun, unthreatening electric car from which to appreciate it.
A full day's rental is 8,400 Yen, or around $87 at current exchange rates. Interested? You can find the rental page here.
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