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Toyota applies long range fuel cell tech to its latest minivan concept
Toyota's next concept car, which it's debuting at the Tokyo Motor Show next week, isn't yet another electric vehicle. The 'Fine-Comfort Ride' runs on hydrogen fuel cells (remember those?) with an intended range of 1,000 km (620 miles) per charge, and can be refuelled in about three minutes. While it looks like a futuristic minivan, the vehicle is geared for internal comfort and entertainment while emitting no carbon dioxide or similar pollutants.
Yamaha's robot motorcycle rider could challenge real racers
Humans might not be the fastest things on two wheels before long. Yamaha has unveiled Motobot, a robot designed to ride superbikes much like you would -- it even has to twist the throttle to get moving. This initial version travels slowly and needs training wheels to avoid tipping over in a turn, so it's not about to compete on the MotoGP circuit just yet. However, Yamaha ultimately hopes to get Motobot blasting along at more than 120MPH on a race track. It goes so far as to put racing legend Valentino Rossi on notice, as you'll see in the promo video below.
Nissan's self-driving EV gives you restaurant recommendations too
It's not another Leaf, but Nissan's treating its IDS concept vehicle as an equally huge a step for automobiles. Packing a 30kWh battery with enough (EPA-rated) power for a drive up to 107 miles, it's the first (admittedly concept) car to show up with the carmaker's Intelligent Driving System. Notable parts of Nissan's autonomous driving plans include special driving modes for traffic jams (where it'll keep pace with the vehicle ahead of it while also keeping itself in the right lane), as well as restaurant recommendations based on previous trips. Ridiculously, or brilliantly, in piloted mode the IDS flips its steering wheel away to offer up a tablet for the driver. At the same time, all the seats curve ever-so slightly inwards to aid conversation. Or make it harder to ignore your fellow passengers.
Toyota's hydrogen concept car could power your concept home
While we're stuck working out the mpg of a practical family sedan, Toyota's off playing with our dreams (or nightmares) with cars like the above. The latest round of concepts from the Japanese auto-maker are being shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, and include a diminutive, sporty-looking Scion S-FR (reverse-world FR-S?), the hot rod-esque Kikai and the hyper-futuristic FCV Plus (pictured).
Nissan's concept car is covered in displays for the selfie generation
There's little doubt the cars of the future will be increasingly more high tech. However, if Nissan has anything to do with it, those vehicles could be blanketed in customizable displays, too. The Japanese company revealed its "Teatro for Dayz" (yes, really) concept ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show later this month that covers most of the interior, and some of the exterior, with "a clean canvas" of LED panels. Nissan's goal was to make a car that "share natives" (the selfie generation, in other words) would find appealing. To do that, the automaker designed a vehicle where time spent riding could also be used for "connecting and sharing experiences with friends." And, you know, paying attention to the road.
Kawasaki's concept cycle can morph into a three-wheeler, comes from your cyberpunk dreams
Does Kawasaki's new electric cycle have two, three wheels or four? Well, it depends. According to the conceptual sketches and a terse explanatory panel, the "J vehicle" concept EV can switch between a lie-down two-wheel Akira / Tron-baiting cycle and a four three-wheel drive mode, with the latter designated as "comfort" mode. The model, revealed at this year's Tokyo Motor Show, is apparently powered by Kawasaki's biggest onboard battery pack, the Gigacell, although (any other) details aren't forthcoming. That's probably because it's from the future and is tearing the space-time continuum apart. (Update: According to those aforementioned concept images, only the front wheels separate outward in comfort mode, turning it into a three-wheeled vehicle, not a quad-bike. We apologize for the error.)
Nissan's BladeGlider electric concept car should definitely race the Batmobile (eyes-on)
We already knew that Nissan's eye-catching electric car concept looked fit for a superhero, but it's honestly not just comic-book premise. A Nissan spokesperson told us that the BladeGlider is a very early prototype aimed towards for-real vehicle production. To its credit, with some geometry skills and practice, you could probably fit two BladeGliders into a standard parking space. Perhaps even more incredibly, the BladeGlider also apparently uses less energy than Nissan's eponymous Leaf EV. The car draws on a lot of design cues from the DeltaWing, a car that Nissan worked on and one that previously did the rounds at Le Mans, among other raceways. Development then judiciously plucked design and engineering pointers from the ZEOD RC, its hybrid electric race car. As you'd expect from a car that's striving towards the future, the twin doors rise upwards rather than swinging out. Sure, we've seen that before -- 30 years earlier -- but in this concept car the entire cockpit also pitches to the side to make space for the driver's exit or entrance. It's no solo car, however, and there's space for two passengers in the back. And that shape: the front of the car is a meter wide, opening up to 1.8 meters along the back. There aren't many cars out there like the BladeGlider -- check out a shot of the HUD after the break.
Toyota's FV2 concept vehicle has a customizable LCD surface and you can drive it while standing
Toyota's new one-person EV even managed to draw our attention away from cars that look fit for superheroics, Announced at the Tokyo Motor Show 2013, the FV2 concept practically slaps you around the face with how much future...ness it's been plied with. In its 'parked' state (measuring 90cm high), it looks a lot like a Tron cycle also-ran, but once the door / roof is raised [seen above], this all changes. Once that happens, you can steer (pilot?) the FV2 while standing: by shifting your body weight to the left or right, it'll tend in that direction. The vehicle only carries one, but distributes the weight across four wheels, which are arranged in a cross layout. There's one at the front, one at the back and two primary drive wheels underneath the driver. This pair, alongside the tail section of the FV2, are coated in light-up displays, able to cycle through colors and patterns, although we're not entirely clear what degree of customization you'd get if the concept eventually made it to retail. We know some people's tastes are pretty out there. Accompanying the vehicle, there were several touchscreen displays that allowed you to... cycle through some custom paint jobs. That's not where the technology ends, however, as that raised windscreen will reportedly act as a augmented reality display, offering up driving advice on traffic conditions, soccer scores and the weather. A spokesperson told Engadget that this information could be gleaned from surrounding vehicles and other wireless data points -- well, we're talking about the future, remember? For a closer glimpse at what Toyota thinks the mirai will look like, take a look through the galleries below.
Toyota is taking fuel cells seriously, unveils concept car and reaffirms launch in 2015
Fuel cells are very much back on the energy agenda. It's not smartphones this time, however, but vehicles. From Toyota, no less. The company's fuel cell program is about to bear fruit and it's revealed a sleek, shiny concept design that's promising a range of "at least" 500 km and a refuel time comparable to good ol' gasoline vehicles.The eventual production model car is planned to go on sale in 2015, which would ensure Toyota keeps the promise it made way back in 2010. The blue color scheme and softened design curves are meant to evoke the "key characteristics" of fuel cell cars: turning air into water. There's even a wave motif fuel cap -- it's all about the details. Once filled and plugged into a compatible home, the FCV is also apparently capable of providing enough electricity to power an average Japanese home for over a week (10 kWh). To accomplish this, two high-pressure hydrogen tanks are stored along the undercarriage, but if you're depending on the FCV to function as, well... a car, then you'll be happy to hear that it can carry around three passengers, alongside the early-adopting driver.
We're live from CEATEC 2012 in Chiba, Japan!
Japan's annual electronics expo is about to kick off in the Tokyo suburb of Chiba, and we've settled down for the week to deliver a peek inside Makuhari Messe, where local carriers will demonstrate their R&D wares, a fair share of robots are expected make their debut and component manufacturers will provide a hint of what's to come. And, because the Tokyo Motor Show is held only once every two years, that winter exhibition will make a smaller appearance within these Chiba halls, with vehicle designers showing off their latest contributions to the automotive industry. The fun begins in just a few minutes, when dozens of diligent guards will lift the gates to the show. As always, you can follow along from home without spending a single yen. Just keep an eye on our homepage, or head over to the CEATEC 2012 tag for a complete roster of this year's show coverage.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: 5 megawatt solar roof, driverless electric cars and ten of the world's craziest Christmas trees
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Solar-powered buildings heated up this week as Inhabitat reported that Apple will crown its new Cupertino headquarters with a 5 megawatt solar roof, and we took a peek inside a sun-powered prefab pod home set in the Italian Alps. We also showcased several fresh examples of wintry architecture this week as we brought you six amazing buildings made from ice and snow and we learned that BIG's waste-to-energy ski slope incinerator was scrapped due to environmental concerns. We also showcased an innovative shelf for interiors made from movable pins, a set of awesome night lights made from retrofitted vintage cameras, and since the holidays are on the way we shared a kit that will help you make your own geodesic gingerbread house! Speaking of the holiday season, this week we rounded up the world's 10 craziest Christmas trees made from recycled objects, and we brought you photos of a massive luminous Xmas tree in Lithuania made from 40,000 plastic bottles. We also brought you a guide for making your own DIY terrarium Christmas ornaments, and if you're looking for cool techy gifts to stick beneath the tree you won't want to miss Theo Jansen's 3d-printed miniature Strandbeest wind walking robots and this fun wooden iPhone toy for tots. In other news, eco transportation blasted off to the future as Zapata Racing unveiled a set of insane water-propelled rocket boots that will send you soaring like a superhero and Audi and BIG unveiled plans for a network of driverless electric cars and luminous high-tech roadways. We were also excited to announce that the Nissan Leaf was named Japan's Car of the Year at the Tokyo Motor Show, we saw Daimler unveil plans for a new E-Cell hybrid with inductive charging, and Smart shared a sneak peek of their upcoming "For-US" compact electric pickup truck.
Kobot personal EV concept collapses, lets Cat Woman park anywhere she wants (video)
We've seen our fair share of folding cars, but here's where those concepts and the Kobot EVs differ -- these might actually come to market. These personal transportation vehicles are already far enough along to be rolling about the floor of the Tokyo Motor Show and Kowa Tmsuk (the joint venture between medical supply company Kowa and robot manufacturer Tmsuk) plan to have the first model out by fall of next year. There were three varieties on display at the show: the sporty, red Kobot ν (nyu) being ridden by Cat Woman in the photo above; the green Kobot β (beta), which collapses to just a 30-inch footprint (a tad under one foot); and the two person Kobot π. The electric "cars" shrink with the tap of a button on a smartphone, only have a top speed of 30 km/h (about 19MPH) and are intended for short urban jaunts where parking is at a premium. Check out the source for a bunch more photos and head after the break for a clip of the personal propulsion pods in action.
Toyota Fun-Vii concept car envisions instantly customizable interior and exterior
Look, the reality is that you can't drive your car into a Pay 'n' Spray every 15 minutes or so à la Grand Theft Auto, but what if you can simply change the vehicle's skin at the tap of a button? Toyota certainly likes the sound of that and has thus come up with the funky-looking Fun-Vii concept car. What's more, even the interior can be changed as well, and similarly it can be used as a display space for navigation or even racing simulation (assuming the latter's disabled while actually driving, of course). This is all good and well, but unlike many other concept exhibits we've seen, Toyota's mockup couldn't seat people -- we suspect the "car" only used a back projection from within, so we couldn't get to see what it'd feel like to play a Tron-like game inside the "car." Nevertheless, we look forward to day when this idea becomes a reality -- here's looking at you, flexible OLED! Video after the break. %Gallery-140617%
Toyota FCV-R concept brings fuel cell cars closer to reality, aiming for 2015 launch
Amongst the many concept EVs we've seen at the Tokyo Motor Show this week, Toyota thinks that fuel cell vehicles still have a chance. Hence the above cool-looking FCV-R, an actual functional hydrogen car featuring a multi-LCD panel dashboard along with a driving range of around 700km or 435 miles. Alas, interested buyers will have to wait until around 2015 before Toyota launches its first fuel cell car, which is currently projected to cost around $125,000. And of course, there's no saying on whether hydrogen fuel stations will be widely available across the nation by then. For now though, you can take a closer look at the FCV-R in our video after the break. %Gallery-140616%
Daihatsu FC ShowCase concept: who doesn't want a 60-inch TV in a van?
Here's a funny one from the Tokyo Motor Show. Daihatsu's squarish concept EV van, dubbed the FC ShowCase, is basically a spacious four-seater packing plenty of goodies: a giant wing door, some blue lights on the wheels, an LED panel on the left skirt, side-view cameras instead of mirrors, a funky touch panel steering wheel, a small heads-up display and a 60-inch TV. And no, this isn't a mod from Pimp My Ride. According to one of the designers, the idea here is that the FC ShowCase acts as a mobile theater, which can keep travellers entertained while camping or fishing. With the seats folded down (except for the driver's seat, of course) on top of the 35kW solid polymer fuel cell stack, this vehicle also makes a great delivery van apparently, but don't expect FedEx to turn up at your door with Daihatsu's dream ride any time soon. Or ever. Video after the break. %Gallery-140614%
Daihatsu Pico concept commuter EV hands-on
Using LEDs to display messages on the back of a car? Looks like we have yet another contender with the same idea, except this time all four sides get an LED panel each. The idea behind Daihatsu's Pico concept EV is that it can interact with surrounding pedestrians and drivers using messages with matching colors. For instance, the LED belt can issue a red warning on the back if a car is following too closely; or when driving past pedestrians in close proximity (think rascal scooters but with front and back seats), the belt can turn green and indicate that the car's limited to a safe top speed of 3.7mph. Other than that, the Pico's very much just a cute little EV with a driving range of up to 31 miles (with a full two-hour charge), plus a top speed of 31mph. We also dig the touchscreen console inside the car, but with just the two LED bars acting as doors, we sure hope it'll withstand a bit of rain. Video after the break. %Gallery-140615%
Nissan demonstrates Leaf-powered Smart House, we go hands-on
Back in August, Nissan shared its vision of making its Leaf EV a secondary power source for houses, be it for emergency power outage or for powering lodges in the countryside. Here at the Tokyo Motor Show, we got to see a Smart House that demonstrates just that. To supply the electricity from the Leaf, Nissan uses a power control system box that can supply up to 6kW of power -- plenty of juice for this structure, which consumes about 1 to 2kW for its lights, fan, TV, clock, mini fridge and air conditioner. As for battery life, a Leaf can keep a typical Japanese household powered for about two days, and customers can pick up this power control system in around end of March next year (the retail version will be about half the size of the one pictured). Nissan also said potentially the Smart House can supply excess electricity back to the grid, though this isn't yet possible in Japan due to the lack of such service, which is understandable given the natural disasters earlier this year. Additionally, it turns out that the Smart House can also power itself during sunny days using its solar panels on the top, and any remaining electricity is used to charge up the Leaf; so effectively the car is acting as a mobile battery for the house. But what if it's cloudy and the Leaf is out and about? Well, the fuel cells inside the Smart House's belly will keep your party going, so there's really nothing to worry about as long as you keep an eye on your propane level. Head past the break to watch Nissan's Shinsuke Suzuki switch the house off and on for us. %Gallery-140613%
Nissan Pivo 3 extreme agility concept EV hands-on
Nope, there's nothing wrong with those wheels. As you may recall, this is Nissan's Pivo 3, the company's latest concept EV that provides extreme agility using its four oddly pivoted, individually powered wheels. While we couldn't see this three-seater make sharp U-turns and do automatic parking at the Tokyo Motor Show, our very own Zach Honig managed to get his finger and trouser grease all over it. Behind those pop-out doors one of the most interesting features we saw was the subtle side-view cameras with accompanying screens, thus reducing the car's width. Also, it turns out the lone steering wheel handles all four wheels, meaning the driver won't have to sacrifice too much brain power over multiple controls. That said, we can imagine that even the most experienced drivers may find this car to be a tough animal to tame initially -- the lady in Nissan's earlier demo looked like she had to steer dramatically around sharp corners. But keep the car going straight and it'll accelerate up to 120km/h (75mph), while on a single charge it can go up to 100km (62 miles). Video after the break. %Gallery-140606%
Nissan sells more than 20,000 Leafs in first year, high-fives commence on Tokyo Motor Show floor
You win this round, hippies! Only a few months after announcing that it sold 10,000 all-electric Leaf cars in international markets, Nissan stated at the Tokyo Motor Show today that the company has sold over 20,000 Leafs since the car went on sale in December of 2010. Of the 9,000 Leafs that have been sold to U.S. owners, over 60 percent went to homes in California, where owners no doubt admire their electric cars while enjoying their tasty organic kale and starfruit smoothies. The company also added that it expects to sell more than 10,000 Leafs in the U.S. by the end of 2011, which dovetails perfectly into their predictions. Given that the Japanese EV's prime competition has been plagued by concerns about its flammability, Nissan might just exceed those expectations.
Toyota to unveil Prius C, hydrogen and electric hybrid concepts at 2012 Tokyo Motor Show
If there's one absolute truth to cars, it's this: next year's models will generally make you regret the one you just bought. Over at the Tokyo Motor Show, this standard will probably hold true, with Toyota set to launch a smaller-than-current-Prius in the form of the Prius C, or "Aqua". The C, which takes some interesting technological steps forward, packs a hybrid drivetrain, coupling an as-yet undisclosed "high-output" electric motor with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine. According to Toyota, this combination will yield over 50 miles per gallon in the city, the highest city fuel economy for any non-plug-in vehicle. Getting into more experimental territory, Toyota is also expected to unveil the FCV-R concept, this model previewing a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle with room for four passengers and luggage space currently being targeted for a 2015 market launch. This, along with the FT-EV III (which will preview an upcoming electric version of the company's iQ model with a short-range battery-powered drivetrain) round out Toyota's morsels for the new model year. Stay tuned for additional pricing and release dates as they become available, and head down past the break to see what to expect from the new Prius. %Gallery-139441%
