Toyota FT-CH concept

Toyota’s plan for a whole family of Prius hybrids is confirmed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit with the world debut of its FT-CH concept. The 4-door compact hybrid is some 22 in. shorter than the midsize Prius, but retains utility by losing less than an inch in overall width. Its light weight and trim size are said to make the FT-CH even more fuel efficient than the Prius; the latter, currently comfortably leading EPA City/Highway fuel economy ratings at 51/48 mpg.

The FT-CH was styled at Toyota’s European Design and Development Center (ED2) in Nice, France. Its lime-green livery and sleek shape are intended to echo “the 8-bit generation” of 1980’s high tech. Details such as its pencil headlights perched at the base of its windshield bring it firmly into our era.

Before long, Toyota plans on selling a million hybrids a year globally, the majority of these in North America. The company will be launching eight all new hybrids—not just refreshed versions of existing products—over the next few years. Though labeled a concept at the moment, the FT-CH certainly looks ready for production as the first of these. We’d guess on a lower price point than that of the Prius, the latter’s least expensive version currently at $22,400. The idea would be targeting the FT-CH toward a younger less affluent demographic.

Detroit showgoers were given other indications of Toyota’s future propulsion plans. Within months, 150 lithium-battery Prius plug-ins will arrive here and be placed in what Toyota calls “regional clusters” for market/consumer analysis and technical demonstration. We’ve already driven these Prius PHEVs and have been impressed by their pure-EV range (in the low teens) and, even more so, by their 60-mph EV capability.

Expect to see Prius PHEVs in production by 2012. A similar timeframe is seen for a pure battery electric vehicle. We predict this will be a city BEV along the lines of Toyota’s IQ, a tidy little runabout we’ve already sampled and enjoyed.

The company has also gone on record confirming plans for bringing a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle to global markets in 2015. Costs are coming down (maybe even quicker than with BEVs). Its FCHV-advanced has already demonstrated single-tank range of 431 miles. No surprise; we drove an earlier FCHV 436 miles way back in 2007.