Toyota has shacked up with Massaud to create what it calls an 'anti-crisis' car, that adapts to a wide variety of needs while being much easier on the environment than a conventional car.
In this context, 'anti-crisis' translates to 'anti-excess', although the concept car in question (the ME.WE) is still extremely versatile - it can be a bakkie, convertible, off-roader and small city car in one.
But why did they call it the ME.WE? This name expresses simultaneous concern for both personal wellbeing (ME) and that of others (WE).
LIGHT AND RECYCLABLE
The ME.WE has a tubular aluminium structure, onto which light and hard-wearing 100 percent recyclable polypropylene panels are fitted. The moulded panels are made using a cost-efficient standard production system, but they are easy to personalise.
Thanks to its lightweight structure, the concept is able to tip the scales at just 750kg despite being battery-powered.
These batteries are located beneath the floor and send their power to in-wheel motors like those powering the Toyota i-ROAD concept. This design layout allows the entire cabin to be devoted to the occupants and their luggage.
Step inside this strange creation and you'll find a floor structure and horizontal surfaces that are made from bamboo - which Toyota chose because it's a renewable resource that's also good to look at and easy on the eye.
Toyota calls this car “an intelligent response to the ecological threats posed by mass production and the increasing number of cars on the world's roads, as it is made from materials that help reduce the energy it consumes and the CO2 and harmful emissions it produces.”
Its simplicity is further emphasised by the instrumentation, which consists of a single screen above the steering wheel and which uses a smart phone for information such as navigation instructions.