The Toyota Me.We concept?

Toyota have revealed a brand new electric city car concept which is said to take a minimalist approach. The new car, called the ME.WE is the product of a collaboration between Toyota and a French architect designer and inventor, Jean-Marie Massaud. The car has been described as an anti excess vehicle as well as an alternative to cars that are said to be all about status and passion, the ME.WE comes with hardly any equipment to reduce it's weight and therefore cost. The only visible technology with the vehicle is a screen above the steering wheel of the car which shows navigation instructions, speed and charge status.

What's different with the Toyota Me.We concept?

The vehicle has been constructed around an aluminium tubular shaped chassis and then covered in plastic panels that weigh just 14kg, the entire car only weighs 750kg, which is about 20% less than the conventional supermini. Bamboo is also used across the dashboard and in the floor structure of the vehicle. The ME.We can operate in two or four wheel drive modes which are allowed due to the four in wheel electric motors that provide the power for the vehicle.

The car is 3.44m long, which makes it shorter than both the Fiat 500 and the Volkswagen up!, though there is no need to worry as there is still space for four passengers inside. The lack of boot capacity with the vehicle is more than compensated for with the amount of covered storage space that is available on the boot of the car. The rear seats of the vehicle can also slide backwards and forwards or be removed completely if so desired, like the 2CV from Citroen, if more space is required.

There are no plans to put the Toyota ME.We into production anytime soon

There are no current plans for something like the ME.We to be put into production anytime in the near future, however elements of the cars design, like the easily customisable and lightweight bosy panels could easily be used on future Toyota's in the lower cost bracket.