The electric Baby Lunar Cruiser is “built to conquer rugged terrain on Earth and beyond,” Toyota claims.
Inspired by the original FJ40 Land Cruiser, the electric Moon Rover takes cues from the real Lunar Cruiser Toyota is developing with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
Although you can tell this is just a concept, it’s easily one of the coolest EVs to wear the Toyota badge.
Toyota took the iconic rugged 4×4 design and infused it with “the futuristic capabilities of an interplanetary exploration vehicle.”
The FJ40 was once Toyota’s best-selling vehicle in the US, known for its durability and off-road capabilities.
There’s no mistaking that the electric Toyota Moon Cruiser borrows from the rugged 4×4, but it’s built for a different era. The Moon Rover is propelled by in-wheel electric motors and controlled by joysticks. Meanwhile, airless tires make it easy to move around.
Meet Toyota’s electric Baby Lunar Cruiser
While adventuring, you won’t miss any sights with a glass canopy and a panoramic, augmented reality dashboard display.
The “Toyota” badge up front resembles what we saw on the Nissan Surf-Out electric pickup concept. It will also come complete with a “full array of cameras and lidar/radar sensors,” with a split tailgate configuration in the back.
Meanwhile, the inside features adjustable spaceframe states, a massive single-panel display, and M.O.L.L.E panels throughout.
Toyota is not the only legacy automaker designing an electric Lunar Cruiser. Hyundai Motor began developing an autonomous rover earlier this year, while Nissan announced it was planning a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for future NASA missions to the moon.
Other companies are joining in the action. For example, Venturi Astrolab is building a solar-powered FLEX Rover, which will launch on an upcoming SpaceX mission.
What do you guys think? Should Toyota bring this one into production? A rugged electric 4×4 may fit nicely in its lineup, but the space extras will have to go.