The Toyota FCV Plus concept is both a car and an energy solution for your home (pictures)
Toyota's FCV Plus was built to exist in a world where hydrogen gas creates most of our electricity, and the result is a car that's not just a car, but also a method of powering your home.
The FCV Plus is about 1 inch taller, 2 inches wider and 6 inches shorter in length than Toyota's current small car, the Yaris.
The FCV's wheelbase is roughly 10 inches longer than that of the Yaris, due to unique drivetrain packaging.
While the front end is certainly striking, the FCV Plus' rear end looks like something straight out of science fiction.
Being a concept, it was designed without concern for crash standards, as evidenced by the massive amount of glass surrounding the cabin.
With the drivetrain components pushed to the front and rear of the vehicle, the passenger compartment is positively enormous for a car this small.
Hydrogen has a much better chance of becoming a common automotive staple than holographic displays do -- at least for now.
Rear-seat occupants have limo-like amounts of legroom. It could probably use some seatbelts, though.
The FCV Plus creates all this room by storing the fuel cell between the front wheels and the hydrogen storage tank between the rears.
Even the vehicle's underbody is super-simple, showcasing yet another benefit of a small fuel-cell drivetrain.
When it's not being used to drive around town, the FCV Plus can hook up to an external hydrogen tank and provide electricity for your home.
The car can also be hooked up to the grid to provide extra energy to minimize stress on local infrastructure.
Toyota declined to specify what these wheel-cover lights are for, but they're pretty cool nonetheless.
As with every other futuristic concept out there, the FCV Plus relies on highly efficient LED lighting.
There's a hydrogen tank tucked away back there, somewhere.
One of the best things about a concept is that they don't have to follow traditional vehicle regulations, so you can end up with some funky arrangements, like these low-down brake lights.
You'd be hard-pressed to find an angle where this car looks anything like vehicles on the road today.
Pop Quiz: Is this the FCV Plus' roof, or a helmet from the upcoming Star Wars movie?
What fun is sharing power with the grid if you're not announcing it to every passerby?
Fuel cells still require airflow, so don't expect hydrogen cars to adopt grille-free faces.
Each wheel is powered by its own individual electric motor. Lack of a single, larger motor helps the overall packaging.
The FCV Plus' rear-seat structure is brought to you by Spider-Man.