Toyota on Thursday (June 13) introduced an electric car kit aimed at children of 10 years and older at a car show.
The world's largest automaker said it wanted to get kids interested in cars at a young age.
Car sales have been on a downward trend in Japan and domestic passenger car sales are forecast to drop by about 13 percent in 2013, Japan Automobile Manufacturer's Association said.
The car kit kit is easily put together, Toyota said, and comes with interchangeable car panels.
The car can hold the weight of up to three adults and has a top speed of up to 40 km (24 miles) per hour.
That may seem fast for a 10-year-old to handle, so safety measures are in place for parents. Handbrakes are placed at the rear passenger seats for the parents to activate the emergency brakes.
Additionally, a knob allows the parents to cap the car's top speed at 5, 10, 20 or 30 kilometres per hour, just in case their child decides to floor the pedal.
Toyota said the new cars can be driven by children, but have not been through safety tests, and there are no plans to put them on sale yet.
It added that even if they were sold, the cars would only be driven inside private compounds.
