Toyota's Plug-in Hybrid Has Small Footprint

Toyota's 1/x (pronounced one-tenth) plug-in hybrid vehicle is being shown for the first time in the U.S. at the Chicago Auto Show. It's a genuine compact (12 percent shorter and 7 percent narrower than the smallish Prius) that weighs less than a thousand pounds.

Because it can be plugged in, the 1/x would double the Prius' fuel economy to go well past 100 miles per gallon and more than 600 miles on a single fill-up. The average is a bit deceiving because it assumes that on many days you won't tap into the gas (or other flex fuel) at all.

Yes, this is a concept car, but if Toyota is basing its next generation vehicle on this mock up, then I'm not so sure that this is the car that will set the world on fire as one of the first plug-ins. This looks like a niche car at best.

From an aesthetic standpoint, the Chevrolet Volt is much more appealing as a more traditional sedan. Those who truly want to stand out however (like the Prius crowd) may still bite because of its unique footprint that incorporates carbon fiber reinforced plastic in the frame, and the use of bio-plastic in the roof.

It is encouraging to see plug-in concept vehicles of several sizes as their will be market demand for different styles. But from the looks of this concept, Toyota has some work to do before it goes into production.