The 2011 Tokyo Motor Show brought us some interesting and imaginative eco-friendly concept cars. With efficiency in mind, these companies pushed their creativity to the limit. Here are some of the most eccentric designs of 2011.
VolkswagenVolkswagen
For those of us who like to rock and roll, Volkswagen presented their newest Beetle. They have made friends with Fender to bring a sound system to this car that is ready for the main stage. The system includes a 400W 10-channel amplifier, a subwoofer, and two sets of tweeters, one set in the front and one in the back.
Honda
This tiny electric car is called a “micro-commuter”. It’s only 98.4 inches long, 49.2 wide, and 56.3 tall and has a top speed of 37 mph. Like something from a video game, the driver sits in the center of the front seat operating the automobile with two joysticks. It carries three people and although it has a low max speed, its small size makes it perfect for driving around a dense city.
Daihatsu
Daihatsu brought the FC Sho Case to the table. The fuel cells in this car contain no rare earth metals, which make them cheaper to produce. There are LCD panels on its boxy sides that play relaxing wave patterns. While this is interesting, passengers must step over these high sides to enter the vehicle making this car not very friendly to the elderly or those with injuries.
Toyota and Yamaha
As people look for fuel-efficient ways to get around, we have seen the popularity of mopeds grow in the past years. Toyota partnered with Yamaha to take this one step further with their electric tricycle the EC-Miu. This scooter can be recharged at charging stations used by other electric vehicles and will be embedded with Wi-Fi capabilities. Talk about high-tech.
This year’s concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show were very green focused. Each year the designs unveiled at the show seem to get more imaginative. I can’t wait to see what they bring us next year.
Take IT Away 