What is it? The FT-EV is an all-electric, battery powered car based on the Japanese-market iQ, itself a shrunken version of the Yaris hatchback. Like the iQ, the FT-EV is front-wheel-drive and will seat three adults and a child, with a little room left for a couple of briefcases. Toyota is targeting a 50 mile range from the 11 kilowatt/hour lithium-ion battery. A full recharge takes 7.5 hours on a 110v outlet, or 2.5 hours on 220 volts.
What's new or notable? The FT-EV is just a concept, but Toyota says it presages the companys commitment to produce some version of a small, all-electric commuter vehicle by 2011.
CR's take: Toyota hasn't said whether its new electric commuter will be based on the iQ, but it seems a likely size and offers decent function for a commuter. Since most Americans drive less than 40 miles a day, small, electric commuters like this that sit alongside more functional family cars in suburban garages may go a long way toward national energy savings.
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