Official: 2013 Toyota iQ EV City Car Review

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The 2013 Toyota iQ EV has just been unveiled as the second all-electric vehicle in the brand’s lineup and debuting later this week at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The iQ city car is designed specifically designed to be used in an urban environment. Though looking almost the same as the standard iQ, the electric iQ is five inches longer and 125 kg (275 pounds) heavier. Now Toyota has officially revealed a plug-in all-electric variant – but it will not enter full production. Toyota decided to nix its widespread sales plan for the iQ EV based upon fears that it “misread the market” and that the current battery technology electric vehicles rely on is insufficient. Stuff like this enabled Toyota to use lower battery capacity for this car, which means shorter charging time.

Other technology features of the iQ EV are to be found inside the cabin. The Toyota iQ EV features an exclusive driver’s instrument binnacle with Optitron metres styled to resemble electrical componentry such as a generator turbine and printed circuitry. It incorporates a central speedometer with EV System Indicator-linked changing colour illumination, a 3.5″ TFT (Thin Film Transistor) multi-information display, a compact, high contrast LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a plug-in indicator.

Power for the electric iQ is provided by a 47-kilowatt air-cooled electric motor that sources its energy from a lithium-ion battery pack, allowing for a total driving range of up to 52 miles. Despite its small size, the engine produces a healthy 120 lb-ft. of torque, allowing for a run from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 14 seconds and a top speed of 125 km/h (77 mph).

Toyota fitted it with a low power consumption heat pump air conditioning system, optimized seat heaters, as well as a new heated windscreen defroster that will help to keep the windshield fog free without the use of AC or heat.

The whole car utilizes a black-and-white color scheme inside and out and comes fitted with standard features like a smart entry & start system, a six-speaker audio system and hill start assist.

The iQ EV’s gate-type gear shift lever offers drivers three driving ranges: D-range controls the vehicle to consume the least amount of power during city driving; S-range increases acceleration performance for brisk driving; and B-range maximises regenerative braking to extend the vehicle’s driving range as far as possible.

Once its batteries run dry, the iQ EV can be fully recharged in 3 hours using a regular 230-volt outlet and up to 80 percent charge in 15 minutes when using a dedicated rapid charger.

Selling car: European Spec 2013 Honda CR-V Sports