For decades kei trucks and vans have served as the backbone of Japan’s infrastructure. The rugged and super-compact commercial vehicles are just as prevalent making deliveries in crowded metropolises as they are hauling crops on rural farms. Honda is betting that these no-frills vehicles will be an excellent way to get more EVs on the road in Japan.

Honda’s N-Van is an already popular kei van that boasts incredible packaging efficiencies. The asymmetrical design has a pillarless structure on the passenger side, making for a vast loading portal. Commercial versions can be fitted with just one seat for the driver, while the rest of the interior folds completely flat. These features are a boon for packing and maximizing cargo capacity, so much so that Honda even created a solo camper concept out of an N-Van.

The N-Van debuted in 2018 and was engineered as a gasoline-powered car, so battery packaging is limited. Honda claims a cruising range of 124 miles, which should be plenty for a daily commute in Japan. It may even suffice for a workday’s worth of last-mile delivery runs that kei vans are typically used for in urban areas.