The recently concluded 2009 Tokyo Motor Show showcased what’s in store for Toyota Motor Corporation’s electric future with the unveiling of its FT-EV II concept car.

The FT-EV II is an evolution of the original FT-EV concept car that gives a sneak peak of how electric vehicles of the future will look like. It is a small car that can accommodate four persons in a one plus-three layout.

The sliding side doors provide easy ingress and egress especially in tight parking situations.

Its electric motor has a range of 90 kilometers and can speed up to 100 kph making it very useful in city driving. It is fitted with joystick-like controls giving the car an aircraft cockpit look.

The battery and electric motors have been carefully placed in strategic locations to free up much needed space at the front of the car. It was also designed with a large front windshield for improved visibility and a bigger cabin feel. Even the LED tail lights form part of the rear view, allowing the driver to see through them when backing up.

Yutaka Matsumoto, Toyota Motor Corporation Project General Manager for Research and Development disclosed that Toyota expects that battery technology will advance further in the next couple of years and will find their way into Toyota electric cars that will be sold in the US by 2012.

According to Matsumoto, further advancements in lithium-ion batteries as well as other forms of developed forms of batteries will result in more compact and smaller electric vehicles. He added that Toyota is also working on improving the efficiency of auxiliary components such as air conditioning to reduce load on the power source.