Toyota's FTEV might be aimed at car-sharing services

The iQ-based Toyota FT-EV that we saw in Detroit might one day replace all those golden bird and circuit stickers for ones that read Zipcar or Connect or even Better Place. According to the New York Times' Green Inc. blog, Toyota isn't planning on producing the FT-EV for "the conventional car market." Instead, car-sharing services could get first crack at the all-electric city car because they offer a way to regularly charge the car and provide a parking space to urban dwellers who might shun car ownership precisely because parking is such a PITA. Some residential communities that currently rely on golf carts or GEMs might also be good venues for the FT-EV, Toyota's Bob Reinert told the Times.

One other tidbit: the PHEV Prius might (repeat might) be officially called the "Prius Plug-in." That domain name is currently held by the Amberjac folks. Just so you know.

[Source: New York Times]