FT-EV concept will be produced: Toyota

The trend towards all-electric vehicles is gathering pace as manufacturers respond to a perception by the buying public that this is the most immediate means of reducing CO2 emissions.

Toyota has thrown its hat into the ring with the FT-EV ('Future Toyota Electric Vehicle') concept, unveiled at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit -- and in keeping with Toyota's modus operandi, this is yet another concept that WILL go into production. That means that Toyota will be among the first to offer such a vehicle for 21st Century buyers.

The production model will start finding homes around six to seven years ahead of the current best-guess estimate of when peak oil production will arrive -- around 2018 or 2019. This timeline was provided to Aussie motoring journalists by Toyota Motor Sales Vice President Mike Michels. Michels, a native of California with an enthusiast's penchant for ancient pommy cars (he owns a Sunbeam Alpine with an original 260CID Ford V8) believes that in years to come, hybrid-drive vehicles have the potential to be "the only car in the household". By that, he means that a hybrid could be a car for town and country, whereas many believe that the future lies in a diesel for long-distance driving and an electric vehicle for urban driving. Hybrids, developed properly, could do both, he says -- but our buying habits need to begin changing soon, in his view.

Michels told the press that the volatility of oil prices and lack of foresight on the part of the buying public was a hurdle to be overcome on the way to exploiting new power technologies and drive systems.

"The incredible variation of gasoline prices" presents a serious problem not only for vehicle development, according to Michels, but also product planning. He cited the inability of Toyota to keep up with demand for the Prius once the price of oil in America went through the roof in 2007. This inability drew criticism from pundits and the public alike, who were just as ready to criticise the importer once the price of oil plummeted with the sharemarket, people stopped buying cars and Toyota was left with a glut of 40,000 units of Prius that no one was buying. It's for this reason that Michels reserves some candid but forthright views on his countrymen's buying habits.

"Sadly, I think American consumers have a short memory on these things," he said. So Toyota -- as is the case for other companies committing to electric-only vehicles beyond 2010 --- is making a bold move, outlining a plan to go ahead with a vehicle that may be slow to pick up market share if the global economy remains flat for the next three to four years and the price of oil remains low.

Based on the iQ petrol-engined car, which fits within the external dimensions of the Yaris light car -- and a car that Toyota Australia would like to sell locally -- the FT-EV is fitted with on-board battery power for a range of up to 80km. That's Toyota's aim; and so too are the 112km/h maximum speed and a recharging time (based on the Australian 240V AC mains supply) of just 2.5 hours.

Although Toyota has confirmed that there will be a production version from 2012, the car in Detroit is still very much a concept only.

Despite the commitment to electric car production, Toyota is not forsaking hybrid-drive vehicles as a longer-term solution to reducing CO2 emissions. Almost uniquely in the world, Toyota asserts that hybrids are a realistic alternative to dedicated internal-combustion power and plans to build up to one million hybrid-drive vehicles per annum commencing from next year. This is why the FT-EV will share centre stage in Detroit with the new Prius.

The new Prius will be just one of the hybrid-drive models Toyota will bring to market and the company anticipates as many as 10 distinct hybrids will be introduced by the company within the next few years.

As the 'missing link' between conventional hybrids and the FT-EV, Toyota will also introduce plug-in hybrids -- vehicles that are basically all-electric, but with an internal-combustion range extender. The first of these such vehicles will be the Prius PHV, which will be sold to fleet customers on a leased basis from 2010. This vehicle will feature lithium-ion battery technology, unlike the Nickel-metal Hydride batteries that store electrical power in the current Prius. Toyota plans to begin delivery of 500 Prius PHVs in 2009, for what the IT world describes as 'beta testing'. The car will be based on the new Prius which is also making its debut in Detroit and the two vehicles have been developed in parallel.

Michels explains why Toyota is spreading so many eggs across the three baskets. Using the current production hybrid cars (Prius and Camry) as an analogy, he states that the two cars appeal to two different buyer types -- and the Prius PHV and the production FT-EV will attract different buyers again. If/when Toyota's fuel cell vehicle, the FCHV, ever goes into production, it  too will draw on a different demographic.

"The Prius owner wants everybody to know he owns a hybrid," says Michels, but the Camry buyer is altogether more conservative and "doesn't want to advertise it".

"Camry buyers came into it not even looking for a hybrid; they just wanted a Camry," he says.

If things go well for Toyota as they introduce new technological advances, maybe the Prius will be the choice of conservative buyers in years to come.