Toyota’s FT-3e EV concept displays your charge level on the side of the car

The Toyota FT-3e looks to be the first “ground up” electric SUV concept from the infamously EV-hesitant automaker, and we’re getting a very limited look at it based on some early Japan Mobility Show teasers today. No technical or performance information is being published at this time.

The silhouette and lighting are predictably futuristic, with a full-width LED light bar across the back of the coupe-like crossover. The only feature established in the press release of note, in our view, is the exterior information display system. The FT-3e concept will display the car’s charge level, interior air temperature, and interior air quality as you approach it — on the side of the door. Literally, just above the running boards on the bottom of the front and rear doors is a giant battery bar.

I’ve got to admit: This is pretty slick. It’s also wildly unlikely to enter production. Imagine getting a door ding and needing to replace a screen. Not exactly practical in the real world! But still, as a concept, I dig it.

The down-profile shot of the FT-3e from the rear reveals some pretty beefy fender flares to contrast that swoopy, coupe-like roofline. Also visible: flush door handles.

This seems to be yet another iteration of Toyota’s modern design language – it’s bold and aggressive. Somewhere between the big, sweeping lines of the Crown and the hard angles on the upcoming Land Cruiser. The overall vibe of the FT-3e suggests to me the North American market could see this design in Lexus guise down the road, though it’s obviously far too early to say.

Toyota will reveal more about the FT-3e during the Japan Mobility Show, which kicks off on October 26. Find the press release here.

City Dwellers’s Take

It’s beyond time for Toyota to get an electric-platform SUV to market – so whatever the production FT-3e ends up being, it can’t come soon enough. We know absolutely nothing about this car at this point, but it seems safe to say Toyota will have everyone’s attention here. If the FT-3e ends up being a mass-market mid-size EV crossover, a player as big as Toyota entering the game is a big deal. Without specifications, we’re just left guessing at this point, but it won’t be long until we learn more.