Toyota FT-Bh Concept – the hybrid car of tomorrow

This is the Toyota FT-Bh, a hybrid concept that gets 134.5 mpg, that is approximately 57 kilometre per litre. The Concept was conceived to show how to build a Toyota Yaris-sized hybrid for maximum efficiency without using exotic materials that would drive up prices. Weighing a scant 1,700 lbs., and sculpted for aerodynamics, the FT-Bh's power comes from a 1-liter, two-cylinder engine -- a smaller mill than what you find in large motorcycles.

Toyota’s new FT-Bh concept is a vehicle designed to take the efficiency of full hybrid vehicles to new heights. Making its debut at the Geneva motor show, it is an ultra-light concept, weighing less than 800kg, which demonstrates what can be achieved in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in an affordable family supermini.

3,985mm long, 1,695mm wide and 1,400mm tall, with a 2,570mm wheelbase.

The front end of the car broadcastsToyota’s current design language with its large lower grille, together with a sculpted bonnet and headlamps that are integrated into the front wings. Ultra-slim A and C-pillars maximise the glazed area for better visibility and a greater sense of space in the cabin.

 The way in which the cabin merges seamlessly into the rear of the vehicle, with an uplifted rear bumper and chevron-shaped corner elements, helps achieve the best possible aerodynamic performance and deliver a drag coefficient of just 0.235.

The stretched fabric-look carries through to the minimalist interior, with a concave centre console creating a driver-focused cockpit, while maintaining the overall feeling of light and space.

Weight saving
The target for FT-Bh was a 25 per cent saving on the 1.0-litre Yaris’s 1,030kg kerb weight. Using a combination of high-tensile steel, aluminium and magnesium in the construction has trimmed the weight to just 786kg.

In fact, because the hybrid powertrain is heavier than the three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine (weighing about 60kg), the combined mass of the bodyshell, interior trim, chassis and electronics had to be reduced by around 340kg – one third of Yaris’s weight – to achieve the target.

Powertrain
FT-Bh’s full hybrid drive system is a masterpiece of powertrain downsizing. With substantial weight savings in every driveline component, it is almost 90kg lighter than theHybrid Synergy Drivesystem used in today’s Prius.The lightweight, two-cylinder, 1.0-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine combines high efficiency with low thermal capacity and benefits with detailed measures to increase combustion efficiency and reduce friction. As a result, FT-Bh achieves an average fuel consumption of 134.5mpg and CO2 emissions of just 49g/km.The car’s light weight makes it agile and responsive to throttle and brakes, and thanks to its electric motor delivering maximum torque from standstill, it is nimble, too.

Lower driving resistance
The concept represents a comprehensive study in next-generation aerodynamic techniques. It features air curtain intakes on the frontal extremities of the bodywork; air-stream alloy wheels; the replacement of airflow-disrupting door mirrors with cameras; latches in place of handles to open the doors; a pagoda-style roof with a dropped rear section; and a sharply cut rear end that incorporates an air outlet slit and an underfloor spoiler to smooth the flow of air away from the vehicle. Together these measures bring the Cd down from a B-segment/supermini average of about 0.29 to just 0.235.FT-Bh rides on narrow, large diameter 145/55R18 low rolling resistance tyres, which make a significant contribution to bringing down the road load and driving resistance, with no loss of grip or traction

Source : Yahoo News