Toyota Hi-CT Green-Friendly Mini-Tank Concept

Toyota copies the look of one of those slab-like flat-nose trucks with their Hi-CT concept and made its debut during the auto event with a decidedly tank-like profile. They recently added three new concept cars to its growing line of futuristic vehicles, the Hi-CT, the Future Toyota Mini Van, and the Crown Hybrid Concept car.
Despite the car’s bulky looks, this is in fact a green hybrid vehicle that can charge from an external power source via an AC100V accessory socket. Who cares about aerodynamics when urban enjoyment is the only criteria? With the nearly-absent overhangs, this vehicle would likely be very easy to pilot around the congested city streets of an urban metropolis.

The car features a removable trunk and bicycle/surfboard deck for those granola-chomping weekends us city dwellers are always hearing about. As going green becomes ever more stylish it seems like just a matter of time before we stop relying on prehistoric fossil fuel to power our horseless carriages.
The power is provided by a hybrid drivetrain, mating a small 1.5 liter gasoline engine with an electric motor. Toyota uses words like “edgy” and “cool” to describe the car.
Although the van’s square shape is not very attractive, the vibrant design of the side-window line and the fender arch gives the car a dynamic feel. In contrast to conventional minivans, the interior of the FT-MV is quite luxurious, including six leather seats.
We’ll take a pass for now and wait until we see more real-life pictures of the machine before passing judgment. Sorta resembles half of a VW Vanagon though, doesn’t it?

Seeing the Hi-CT in person provided a better perspective of what Toyota was after – namely an economical way of getting a couple of people to and fro along with their “active lifestyle” accoutrements. Every time I see one of these concept cars, it feels like it’s driving out of a science fiction movie. This one feels like one of Steven Spielberg’s. The cars in A.I. sort of looked like this, and if you look close in a certain scene from Minority Report, there is a car that really resembles this one.
Of all the concepts shown by Toyota, the Hi-CT was one of our favorites, if for no other reason than it had a clear purpose that was thoughtfully and originally executed.

Toyota Hi-CT
The Hi-CT aims to offer a new “coolness” and new ways to have fun as a departure from conventional vehicles-an edgy, urban vehicle inspired by the thinking and lifestyles of youth.
- Offers a new kind of automotive “cool” and sense of enjoyment.
- Has a new look unconstrained by conventional vehicle size (length 3,330mm x width 1,695mm x height 1,780mm).
- Adopts plug-in hybrid technology, which allows it to charge from an external power source and gives it a greater driving range when running on its battery-powered motor; by placing the battery under the floor, achieves a highly efficient cabin with a higher driver position.
- Comes with an AC100V accessory socket that enables stored electricity-made possible by plug-in hybrid technology-to be used for a variety of applications.
- Features a removable rear trunk and a deck where surfboards, bicycles and other equipment can be loaded.