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An electric car that you can start with your mobile phone? Apparently so – call now!

 

The Tokyo Motor Show apparently has lost some of its prestige as Asia’s best, as the number of companies participating this year has dropped by more than 50 percent, The Los Angeles Times reported.

In fact, reporter Yuriko Nagano notes that it’s become more of a domestic auto show, as more automobile manufacturers have flocked to present at Auto Shanghai.

From a business perspective, that makes sense. China is the world’s largest automobile market.

But two vehicles this year in Tokyo caught my attention – in addition to the ones I’ve noted a few weeks ago, including a solar-powered car and a personal mobility device.

The Phiaro P70t Conch, a three-person concept car, is powered by electricity and can be started by a mobile phone, the company noted.

Even motorcycle designs are trending toward electricity with this neon green model, the EC-f, from Yamaha, which also comes in black.

 

 

 
 

 

The P70t is a fascinating concept.

But it raises a question for the long term:

If this car reaches the market, will paying your cell phone bill on time and maintaining service be directly tied to starting your environmentally-friendly vehicle?

And what happens if you break your cell phone by dropping it? Or if it falls in water?

If this car does reach the mass market, I’m sure the designers will include a second way to start the bubble-like electric vehicle.

That is: Unless their brilliance only enabled them to design and execute one trailblazing idea and not see the entire picture.

Finally, I came across this gizmag video that looks at this Lexus, two-wheel drive, motor-assisted concept bicycle – which also is being shown this year at the Tokyo show.

Gizmag is in full force at the show and its site has its own channel for it.