High-tech 1/X Toyota car may feel at home in the sea

William Atkins
Monday, 23 February 2009 20:08

Science - Climate

The 1/X name (or “one-Xth”) is so named because in the future (maybe in about ten years) it will have only a fraction of the “environmental footprint” of the cleanest running and most-environmentally-friendly made cars on the road in 2009.

David Buttner, who is the Toyota Australia senior executive director of sales and marketing, stated, "But in reality the seaweed car is another decade away. However, it shows where we're going.” [HeraldSun.com.au: “Kelp is on the way for Toyota”]

Buttner adds, "It's a concept car of post-2020. It is ultra-light and ultra-strong. Our thinking is that post-2020, cars like the 1/X will be made of plant-based plastic, eco plastics."

Kaida states that this kelp-based technology could be used on all vehicles made by Toyota, from their big SUVs down to the little Prius.

He adds, "In fact, I want to create such a vehicle from seaweed because Japan is surrounded by the sea." [AusAuto.com]

Kaida comments on Toyota's move forward: "It is also a direction for a future Prius two or three generations ahead of the current car.” [AusAuto.com]

In fact, Kaida says that the kelp-based Prius will weigh only about 33% of today’s subcompact cars, while still being of the same size, externally and inside the cabin.

In addition, the Toyota design team hopes to get twice as much gas mileage from the 1/X car by “combining a plug-in hybrid powertrain with flexible fuel technology using a mixture of ethanol and petrol.” [AusAuto.com]