Toyota is looking to make a splash with a trio of three unusual cars at this year’s upcoming 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. The first being the SF-R concept, a spiritual successor to the 1960’s Toyota Sports 800 roadster, aimed at taking on the driving enthusiast’s favorite, the Mazda MX-5. The second the steampunk-ish KIKAI Concept, which looks every bit the part of a car from a Miyazaki animated feature, wearing its internal workings on the outside.
But it’s the last of the trio – the Toyota FCV Plus Concept Car – which aims well beyond the other two in both design and technology, an unusually shaped hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle with a futuristic exterior and an even more future-forward interior.
Toyota conceived their TRON-like design to operate on the backbone of a hydrogen electric infrastructure, in connection to an energy grid of hydrogen energy power stations and wireless energy transferral systems. The four passenger vehicle’s role is envisioned as both a people mover, but also as a portable power supply. No surprise considering the Japanese cultural propensity for preparedness in times of emergency and disasters.
The fuel-cell stack in the front and compressed hydrogen tank in the rear results in an expansive domed cabin for passengers, with the additional feature of operating as an electrical source for homes and businesses in times of emergencies when power is unavailable.
An unusual web-like interior structure supports the rear seats, likely a weight-saving measure. Up front the HUD is projected onto the windshield, further freeing up space for passenger and driver legroom.
As a whole, it’s hard not to think of the original Apple iMac design.
The FCV Plus is designed to wirelessly transfer energy into the power grid or to a residence when needed.
No word whether Toyota plans to take the FCV Plus beyond the role of exploratory concept car, but it’s more likely we’ll see variations of this futuristic people mover in parts and sections as cars transition from automobiles to multipurpose appliances. We’ll know more specifics soon upon the arrival of the Tokyo Motor Show…