Toyota’s Tokyo Concepts Pt. 1 – The FCV Concept & FV2 Concept

If you’re wondering who’s going to make the most prolific appearance at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, look no further than Toyota. In addition to the Lexus concepts we discussed yesterday, they’ll be bringing seven new concepts under the main Toyota marquee, although a couple are just expanded editions of previous concepts.

Obviously, it would be very difficult to give that many concepts the thorough treatment they deserve if we tried to squeeze previews for all five into just one blog post. So, today we’re going to discuss the two most important concepts that Toyota is bringing to the show, and then we’ll cover the other slightly-less-important concepts tomorrow.

Sound good? Let’s get started…

Toyota FCV Concept

What we have here is the long awaited Toyota FCV concept, which is officially the first hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicle from Toyota. This concept previews a production model which Toyota intends to launch “around 2015”. According to Toyota, the concept actually boasts a driving range of approximately 500 km, about 310 miles, all with a refueling time similar to what you’d get from a regular gas-pump.

Practically speaking, the FCV Concept fits into the realm of family sedan. It seats four people with four doors, and the engine outputs a low-key 134bhp.

The exterior isn’t quite what you’d expect from a typical Toyota sedan, though. Apparently the FCV Concept’s design is inspired by a catamaran (the yachts with two hulls and a sail in between). That explains the almost wave-like feeling you get looking at the side of the vehicle. But, the design does more than just look good… It’s also very aerodynamic, which helps the concept achieve such incredible hydrogen fuel economy.

Toyota FV2 Concept

Toyota’s next concept is an entirely unprecedented world premiere. In other words, we haven’t seen or heard anything about this concept until today when Toyota unleashed its preview images for the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.

Officially called the Toyota FV2 concept, which will literally means “Fun Vehicle 2”, this is a concept which aims to connect perfectly with its driver. The exact words that Toyota used were “connecting with the driver’s heart”.

Apparently, the FV2 Concept accomplishes this intimate connection through its steering system, which doesn’t operate with a normal steering wheel. Instead, the driver will use their body weight to direct the FV2 while the vehicle contributes to the cause with automated safe-driving protocols and advanced warnings for blind spots. The car is advanced enough that it can actually measure your mood while you’re driving based on image recognition and an ability to “learn” your driving habits.

As you can see, these are two incredibly progressive concepts from Toyota. While we may never see anything like the FV2 in dealerships, the FCV Concept will be a production model in the not-so-distant future. In just a couple years’ time, Toyota aims to have their first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle on the market.

We can’t wait until doors officially open for the Tokyo Motor Show so that we can all learn more about these two concepts. In the meantime, stay tuned tomorrow for more information about the other concepts the world’s largest Japanese brand is bringing to its home-turf motor show.