The significance ofToyota’s FT-Bh hybrid concept is its green from the very first bolt – designed to employ environmentally-friendly and simple production methods, using cheaper and less-exotic materials but still being light in weight.
The FT-Bh hybrid concept is slightly longer than Toyota’s current Yaris compact but is a massive 25 per cent lighter (less than 800kgs) and it’s slippery shape delivers a drag Cd of just 0.235.
Drive is from a new hybrid system with a 1.0-litre, two-cylinder Atkinson cycle petrol engine which can be adapted to use a s a plug-in hybrid or to run on natural gas. The new hybrid system is 90kgs lighter than the current Toyota Prius system.
Styling is taut – design to look like a stretched sailcloth and this is carried over to the simple interior. And aerodynamics are critical – the drag of exterior mirrors wouldn’t do so Toyota’s stylists ditched them in favour of a camera-based rearview system.
Even the air-conditioning system has been re-configured to maximize thermal efficiency (and hence save power) by focusing on heating-cooling only where occupants sit.
The result is fuel consumption of just 1.75l/100kms and emissions of just 49g/km, so the Toyota FT-Bh is twice as friendly to the planet as Toyota’s 1.0-litre Yaris as sold in Europe.
