Toyota unveiling electric concept car in Detroit

…Toyota calls the FT-EV, based on the ultra-compact iQ model on sale in Japan, an “urban dweller” with a range of 50 miles. Although there’s no guarantee it will go into production in its current form, it illustrates the company’s product strategies.

“Last summer’s $4-a-gallon gasoline was no anomaly,” said Irv Miller, vice president of Toyota Motor Sales USA. “It was a brief glimpse of our future. We must address the inevitability of peak oil by developing vehicles powered by alternatives to liquid-oil fuel.”


The FT-EV marks Toyota’s deepest foray yet into non-gasoline vehicles and comes as a challenge to competitors like General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, which are rushing to roll out alternatives to gasoline cars.

GM says it plans to have the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt in showrooms by 2010. The rechargeable gas-electric car is expected to travel 40 miles on electricity alone, then a gasoline engine kicks in to extend its range.

AP