Toyota FT-EV II

Toyota have released first official details for their electric FT-EV II concept well ahead of its grand unveiling, showing that the little EV is near production ready.

The name FT-EV is short for Future Toyota Electric Vehicle and is designed to be a daily, short distance commuter capable of low-level highway speeds.

The smartly designed little compact electric car is based on the iQ, but with more compact dimensions of 2730mm long, 1680mm wide, and 1490mm high and yet it is still able to carry four passengers.  The exterior look of the car gives it a futuristic space-craft feel, but the short nose makes the windshield flatter and less angled, giving an overall softer, cuter car. The FT-EV II features electric sliding doors on both sides, plus an extra window below the windscreen level for extra visibility.

The theme continues inside the FT-EV II which is designed to be ‘retro-futuristic’, with Toyota deciding to do away with the traditional foot pedals as well as the steering wheel and added a joystick instead.  The joystick will carry out all of the main tasks including acceleration, braking and steering, and this also means that the four-seater gets some added legroom.

This car is perfect around busy cities and runs on lithium-ion batteries which have a range of more than 50 miles on a full charge, and giving a reasonable top speed of 62mph.

Further details will be released at the upcoming show and Toyota hope to have this small EV powered car on the market by 2012.

You can still experience the fun of driving a little city car with our range of super minis from £129.99 per month, or the current Toyota iQ from £149.99 per month.