Toyota's latest EV is the coolest yet - AutoReview.nl

To immediately dispel any expectations about a production version: the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser will not be in the showroom. That's a shame, because the concept car looks great. The chunky design is based on the most famous Toyota Land Cruiser ever, the FJ40. This is the version where the windscreen is straight and the rear side windows run around the corner of the body.

The Land Cruiser FJ40 is one of the best-selling Toyotas in America ever. Reason for Toyota's American design department to base the design of its latest concept on this. The design studio is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the Baby Lunar Cruiser. It does not have a diesel engine, like the FJ40 did, but an electric motor in each wheel. So an EV and a 4x4 at the same time.

Would you like to know when the Baby Lunar Cruiser will become available? Then sign up for our free, weekly newsletter:

On earth and beyond

The Baby Lunar Cruiser was developed "to conquer rugged terrain on Earth and beyond," Toyota says. So a lunar vehicle, or a Martian lander. The car has a lot to offer. There is no steering wheel, you operate it with two joysticks. What is also striking is the enormous glass surface and the very large display in front of the driver. The tailgate consists of two parts and the rear seat can disappear into the floor.

Fuel cell

The Baby Lunar Cruiser will never drive around on your street, but don't be surprised if it does explore the moon one day. Toyota already came up with a vehicle suitable for moon missions in 2019, but it was larger (see photo above right). This Lunar Cruiser is equipped with a fuel cell and was developed with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan's NASA. They were also involved in the Baby Lunar Cruiser.

Less enthusiastic

As cool as the Toyota Baby Lunar Cruiser is, wouldn't Toyota be better off spending its money on developing an electric car that you can buy? After all, Toyota is still a bit behind with its EV offering. But the Japanese are working hard to turn this disadvantage into an advantage and are developing a cheap EV. Not for the moon, but for your door.