Posts Tagged concept car

Tokyo 2009: Toyota FT-EV II concept

Toyota FT-EV II concept

Toyota has revealed its latest plug-in electric concept car here at the Tokyo Motor Show. The FT-EV II is a followup to the iQ-based FT-EV that we saw in Detroit earlier this year but appears to be a ground-up design that takes advantage of the electric drive architecture. The iQ is promoted as a 3+1 layout because the presence of the steering column and instrument cluster force the driver’s seat to be further back – limiting the already small rear seat behind it.

The new concept uses a complete drive-by-wire system with joystick-like controls that feature a steam-punk design motif. The result is wide open space in the front, which conspire with the very thin-shell seats to offer decent room inside. The car also has sliding doors on both sides. It’s not known if this concept represents a design direction for an urban BEV that Toyota will likely build to meet ZEV mandates in the next five years, but it would seem to make sense for Toyota to do a custom design such as this.

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Tokyo 2009: Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Cargo Concept

You can make anything bigger and better if you just add a hump, and that’s what Mitsubishi has done to its i-MiEV to create the i-MiEV Cargo.

For those who find Ford’s Transit Connect simply too monstrous and don’t want to pay for gas – like, oh, a commercial concern in Tokyo – Mitsu’s battery-powered i-MiEV could be the perfect solution. Growing only in height compared to its hatchback sibling, the thing is tiny but still packs 62 cubic feet of cargo space in its Quasimodo back end – that’s a little less than half the Transit Connect’s space. That said, we have to wonder how much a full cargo load will negatively effect the i-MiEV’s range and overall performance.

PRESS RELEASE:

Generous expansion of i-MiEV ’s interior space
Concept: Greater utility for an extended range of uses

The i-MiEV CARGO is a concept car that maximizes the outstanding environmental performance and economic efficiency characteristics that define the i-MiEV production model and at the same time adds a generous amount of customizable free space at the rear to extend the range of uses to which it can be put by corporate users and self-employed operators in particular. The result is a concept for an EV that meets user space needs and demands for a variety of situations: from business use, where maximum payload space is required, to leisure and other individual owner uses. Being a zero-emission vehicle that produces no drive-time CO2* the i-MiEV CARGO offers the ideal solution to users in the welfare and medical fields where clean low emission vehicles are becoming a requirement.

*: Excluding CO2 emitted during the generation-to-charging process.

Design
Innovative and unique styling gives appealing road presence

The i-MiEV CARGO ‘ s distinctive styling was developed around a “joint” design concept as it links the i-MiEV ‘ s curvaceous front section with a square rear end that offers extra space. The S-shape body line running from the front to the rear gives the vehicle a light and nimble appearance when viewed from the side. The unique styling which effectively joins the radically different front and rear sections creates a road presence that will attract attention not just around town but on any number of situations. Inside, the simple and user-friendly styling eliminates extraneous elements and details to improve usability and create an interior space characterized by its free-thinking design and originality.

Free Space
Generous and versatile free space invites creative use of imagination

The square-design compartment at the rear of the vehicle allows every inch of available space to be utilized. Also, with its flat floor design and high capacity, the space not only accommodates more luggage or cargo but also lends itself to being customized in practically any manner the owner’s imagination may run to and thus extend the range of uses to which it can be put. The height of the floor has been designed to facilitate loading and unloading of luggage or cargo.

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2009 Audi e-Tron Concept Car A High-Performance Sports Car

2009 Audi e-Tron Concept Car

The Audi e-tron Concept 2009, a high-performance sports car with a purely electric drive system. Four motors – two each at the front and rear axles – drive the wheels, making the concept car a true quattro. Producing 230 kW (313 hp) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 lb-ft) of torque, the two-seater accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 – 62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and from 60 to 120 km/h (37.28 – 74.56 mph) in 4.1 seconds. The lithium-ion battery provides a truly useable energy content of 42.4 kilowatt hours to enable a range of approximately 248 kilometers.
2009 Audi e-Tron Concept Car

The performance figures are by no means the only evidence of the consistent and holistic strategy. The design makes it clear that the Audi e-tron Concept belongs in the major leagues of sports cars, and the package takes into account the specific realities of an electric vehicle. The battery is directly behind the passenger cabin for an optimal center of gravity and axle load distribution.
2009 Audi e-Tron Concept Car

The Audi e-tron Concept is able to freely distribute the powerful torque of its four electric motors to the wheels as required. This so-called torque vectoring allows for dazzling dynamics and an undreamed-of level of agility and precision when cornering.
The electric driving potentially offers numerous advantages. Electric cars reduce the dependence of transportation and the economy on the raw material petroleum. They produce no direct exhaust emissions and thus ease the local burden on the environment.

2009 Audi e-Tron Concept Car

Electric drive systems are also significantly more efficient than combustion engines, consequently making them easier on the customers’ wallets. Other strengths include sportiness and the fun they bring to driving. All of Audi has taken a new and in some cases revolutionary approach to many of the technical modules. A heat pump is used to efficiently warm up and heat the interior.

2009 Audi e-Tron Concept Car

The drive system, the power electronics and the battery are controlled by an innovative thermal management system that is a crucial component for achieving the car’s range without compromising its high level of interior comfort. Networking the vehicle electronics with the surroundings, which is referred to as car-to-x communication, opens new dimensions for the optimization of efficiency, safety and convenience.

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