Toyota FV2 is a “living” concept car, a couple of decades ahead of its time

What happens if you combine an electric car, a Segway and a three-wheeled motorcycle? Don’t even try to visualize this “constructor” - the Japanese have already done it for you. Back in 2, the Toyota FV2013 show car surprised even sophisticated spectators with its appearance at the annual Tokyo Motor Show.


A unique and “completely new” type of transport. This is what the creators named their creation almost 11 years ago. Even today it looks very bold, as if it came out of the frames of the science-fiction film “Tron” or something similar. It's ironic: the Toyota FV2 has a cool design, and it doesn't even have a steering wheel.


An aerodynamic body, three wheels and a convertible top, which in working position takes on the role of a windshield. There’s nothing else for the eye to catch your eye on – this miracle has a very minimalistic, sleek design. The characteristics are still largely unknown. Here are the ones we know:

✅ body length – 3000 mm
✅ folded height – 900 mm
✅ height in motion – 178 mm

The wheelbase of the Toyota FV2 is 2360 mm, but it does not have much significance, since the “pilot” has to drive in a standing position. It is simply impossible to drive a vehicle in a sitting or lying position.

How is this managed?

How, then, is this “shaitan machine” controlled? Obviously, body movements. This concept car is similar to a Segway. To accelerate, and more powerfully, the user leans forward. If you need to slow down, go back. Turns to the right and left are carried out by tilting in the desired direction.

Such control, according to the creators, remains as natural as possible for humans. It works on an intuitive level and has a lot in common with the way people move when walking in everyday life. There is a hidden meaning here: the clearer the controls, the safer it is overall.

Interestingly, the Toyota FV2 received intelligent transport system technology. The engineers’ idea is this: the “car” communicates wirelessly with other vehicles on the road, thereby helping the user more fully and soberly assess the situation on the road around him.


Just imagine: there is a traffic jam or an emergency situation ahead, and you already know about it, although you have not arrived yet. You can select the speed in advance to avoid obstacles, and this is also very important for driving without risks. Here the Japanese do not change their principles - safety comes first.

As for data output, a head-up display (AR-HUD) is implemented for this purpose. It works on top of the inside of the windshield, also serving as a dashboard.

A car that senses the driver

Toyota representatives believe that the relationship between drivers and their cars will develop on the basis of trust and mutual understanding, like a rider and a horse. At least, this was the case in 2013 and shortly before that - this is the time when the FV2 concept was being developed.

To ensure that the driver and the show car can “establish a relationship,” the company implemented technology in this car that was created as part of the Toyota Heart Project. For example, the machine recognizes the user's voice and "watches" him through computer vision to determine his mood.

The FV2's intelligent system can learn by accumulating driving history. Based on this, the transport offers the driver optimal routes and even advice on more efficient and safe driving. It’s up to everyone to listen or not, but this AI won’t advise nonsense.


Thus, the longer you drive this unusual vehicle, the better it knows your habits, frequently visited places, cyclical mood changes and other parameters. This means that over time, this car can transform from a simple piece of iron into a faithful comrade.

What else can this miracle of technology do?

Toyota FV2 doesn't just adapt to the user's mood. You can change the color of the body with just one command, since its surface is literally lined with LED screens. This is also why you can display animations, images, videos – whatever you want – on the body.

Alas, the show car remained a concept, apparently assembled in a single copy. It was made for only one purpose - to demonstrate the engineering capabilities of Toyota. It is unlikely that we will see such vehicles on the roads in the near future, but some of their technologies are quite possible.