Toyota has unveiled a new concept electric vehicle (EV) – the ME.WE – at Le Rendez-vous Toyota, the company’s brand experience center on the Champs Elysées in Paris.
Produced in collaboration with French architect Jean-Marie Massaud, the name comes from concern for personal well-being (“ME”) as well as of others (“WE”). The objective behind creating the ME.WE was to “do more and create better while using less”.
The car has been conceived as an all-in-one package combining the attributes of a pick-up, 4×4, convertible, and city car in one vehicle. The design uses a tubular aluminium chassis with interchangeable polypropylene body panels leading to an overall weight of only 750 kg, with the panels themselves weighing in at just 14 kg. Similar to the i-ROAD Concept shown at the Geneva motor show, the ME.WE too uses in-wheel electric motors but with on-demand 4WD and also without the added weight and complexity of an all-wheel-drive transmission. The battery charge itself is conserved by powering the air-conditioning and seat heaters using a low-energy pump.
The windows and windscreen can be lowered to give the effect of a convertible, in line with the ME.WE’s targeted status as a four-in-one car. The interior is a simple, eco-friendly affair on the lines of the overall philosophy behind the car. Horizontal surfaces in the cabin are made from bamboo from renewable sources and there is additional room for passengers as the batteries have been placed under the floor of the car. Battery charge, speed, and sat-nav direction are shown on just one screen with the driver’s smartphone powering the navigation and entertainment functions. A fold-out weatherproof cover on the roof takes care of luggage.
In the pick-up formation, the trunk can be turned into a pick-up bed by means of an extending rear panel for hauling large loads. A rail system allows the foldable rear bench to slide under the front seats to further enhance capacity, with the bench also being completely removable for use as standalone seating for picnics and other applications.
The ME.WE has some design elements that are unconventional and might be construed as daft, but the car surely stands out as a genuine attempt to holistically design an ecologically-sensible car rather than just add small eco-friendly features to a powerful gas guzzler. Could we see such cars on the roads someday? Watch this space!
