Auto Show Features Novel Design Ideas, Emissions Cuts
By YOSHIO TAKAHASHI
October 11, 2007; Page D7
TOKYO -- Keep your eye out for an electric car that can move sideways, a hydrogen-powered van with a body made out of a gel-like substance and a stroller-shaped hybrid that runs on sidewalks and streets.A rendering of Toyota's electric vehicle, the i-REAL.
These and other eco-friendly concept cars going on display at this year's Tokyo Motor Show, running from Oct. 26 to Nov. 11, are designed to give off warm, fuzzy feelings, along with reduced carbon-dioxide emissions.
The concept cars, though years away from the market, show how Japan's top auto makers are stretching their research and development to create models for the so-called green-car market that aren't just good for the environment but also make drivers feel good.
Honda Motor Co., for example, will display the PUYO, a fuel-cell-powered van with a soft body made of silicone that helps reduce damage in a crash. The car runs on hydrogen and emits only water as a byproduct. The interior of the PUYO rotates so owners never have to deal with driving in reverse. Parts of the dashboard and body glow in various colors.Honda's PUYO, a fuel-cell-powered van
Toyota Motor Corp., meanwhile, will unveil a one-seat electric vehicle called the i-REAL. Shaped like a sleek stroller with two wheels in front and one in back, it can run on sidewalks and streets, and can move at higher speeds when the seat reclines.
Toyota, Japan's biggest auto maker by sales, will also exhibit the Hi-CT, aimed at younger consumers. The vehicle has a long, box-shaped body with a trunk that can be detached like a suitcase and a deck on which surfboards, bicycles and other equipment can be loaded.
The maker of the Prius hybrid will also show off a square RiN, with green glass and a system that emits oxygen on demand, as well as a display panel that shows images to help relax drivers.
The Hi-CT and the RiN are both gasoline-electric hybrids with batteries that can be recharged by plugging them into a standard electrical outlet.
Tight parking space? No worries with Nissan's PIVO 2 concept car, which can move sideways on tires that rotate 90 degrees.
Nissan Motor Co. will show off its electric car, the PIVO 2, whose upper body can rotate 360 degrees so that passengers can board the vehicle at any angle. The PIVO 2 also has tires that can be turned 90 degrees so the car can move sideways to help the driver parallel park.
Other features include special sensors that the company says can detect drivers' moods, and equipment that can converse with drivers to make them feel at ease while promoting safe driving.
Even though these vehicles will most likely never be mass produced even in Japan, let alone anywhere else, I thought overworked Japanese minds with lots of financial backing resulted in notable creativity and strangness. Keep in mind, they are Japanese solutions to Japanese problems, not the solutions to the world's problems. Neat though.
