Project Description
This project is part of the “House Vision 2” exhibition, which runs from July 30 through August 28, 2016 in Tokyo.
FROM HOUSE VISION:
TOYOTA is exhibiting ideas based on its plug-in hybrid technology. Seeing plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHV) as the next mainstream trend after its hybrid vehicles, it is developing energy-saving cars that can run purely on electricity or on gasoline, and can use solar power from a solar charging system. And because a PHV can store a large amount of electricity, it can even have a role as an energy provider. Based on an idea by architect Kengo Kuma, the PHV’s trunk is stacked full of folded tents made of strong air-tight fabric and light but strong carbon fiber frames, ready for deployment in areas without energy infrastructure. Unfolded, the tents enclose an amazingly large amount of space. The vehicle then provides energy and communications, creating a surprisingly livable space, even in locations like remote headlands. Families living under the same roof can often drift into their own rooms and separate living patterns, but this comfortable environment deployed in a different world becomes a stage where people may be able to discover new ways that they are linked together. The car is more than just a tool for mobility. It is also able to explore and develop new connections with spaces for living in.