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A new accessory for the beloved Cozy Coupe range lets kids plug in their ride-on toy (sort of).
Quick, what was America's top-selling car 25 years ago? If you answered Toyota Camry, nope. Honda Accord? Wrong. Maybe the Civic or Corolla? *Loud buzzer noise*. No, the best-selling car in the U.S. in 1991 was the humble Little Tikes Cozy Coupe, capturing the title with an annual production of 500,000 units.
That's a lot of plastic-wheeled fun, and sales have continued to be strong over the decades. Kids love "driving" these red-and-yellow cars around the house, emulating their parents. Wait, why is Junior yelling at the dog and shaking his fist in an act of rug rage? Better watch how you act behind the wheel!
Invented by Cincinnati designer Jim Mariol, who might well have gone on to design actual cars had he not been drafted during the Korean War, the Cozy Coupe went on sale at the tail end of the 1970s. Like the Honda Civic, it was the right product at the right time, and soon it was a feature of many a home with young children. Even today, it'd be hard to find a daycare or play area that doesn't have at least one.
The Cozy Coupe range has expanded beyond the iconic yellow-roofed car over the years. You can buy your kid one that's part dinosaur. You can get one that looks halfway between a Ford F-150 and a Disney Princess ball gown. For a long time, you've also been able to get a smiling toy fuel pump for toddlers to playact filling up their rides.
Now, your budding commuter can plug in their Cozy Coupe EV with a Cozy E-Charging station. The stand-alone station comes with a "plug" compatible with the Cozy Coupe's fuel door, glow-in-the-dark decals, and a button that lights up and makes charging noises. It takes three AA batteries so you can set it up in the yard or anywhere else, no need for an outlet.
Current Cozy Coupe owners may be concerned about making the switch from gasoline to electric, and wondering about the "conversion" process. It's very simple. You simply say, "Okay, it's an EV now," and your kid's plastic ride-on car is suddenly identical to the family Ioniq 5. (As an aside for parents, yes, all Cozy Coupe models still technically run on biofuel—your kid's legs!)
Is it a sign that gas prices are getting a bit high when preschoolers are making the switch to electric? Maybe. But more likely it's just nice to have the option to let kids enjoy play that's slightly more realistic. If you can say that about a toy car that's available in a part-dinosaur model. All that remains is for Ford to start building a PowerBoost version of the Raptor, so big kids can plug in their dino-themed trucks too.
Source: caranddriver.com
