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New Models

Toyota iQ EV: production-ready city car won’t be sold



Toyota says it has no plans to sell the Toyota iQ EV despite revealing a production-ready concept of the electric city car ahead of its debut at this week's Paris motor show.


The all-electric iQ is 135mm longer than a regular Toyota iQ and gets drag-reducing wheels and a two-tone paint job.

Power comes from a 12kWh battery pack that can be fast-charged to 80 per cent capacity in just 15 minutes. The standard charge will also take no longer than three hours.

The battery pack is located in the floorpan of the chassis to lower the centre of gravity and to offer the best possible protection in the event of an accident.

Toyota says the iQ EV can travel up to 85km on a single charge, with a its 47kW/163Nm electric motor capable of powering it on to a top speed of 135km/h. Accelerating from 0-100km/h takes 14 seconds.

Inside, the iQ EV is much the same as the petrol-powered Toyota iQ, but with a few white accents. Drivers can access vehicle information via a 3.5-inch screen at the top of the console.

Although the Toyota iQ EV is production-ready, the Japanese manufacturer does not believe there is enough demand for the pint-sized electric car, and says it will instead continue to focus its efforts on hybrid vehicles.

"Toyota has seen that many customers are not yet willing to compromise on range, and they don't like the time needed to recharge the batteries," Toyota said. "Moreover, the infrastructure for recharging has not become as widespread as originally anticipated.

"So, even though Toyota is ready with the iQ EV, we believe a plug-in hybrid solution offers a better way than pure electric for most customer needs in the short- to medium-term, and that is where we will concentrate our commercial activities."

The brand currently manufactures the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, which is capable of driving in pure electric mode for 25km and upwards of 1200km with a fully charged battery and a full tank of fuel.

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