Robert Ackers
Summary
- Toyota has secured £15 million from the UK government to study production of the FT-Me Concept.
- The FT-Me aims to provide a compact, low-impact EV option for city drivers and last-mile use.
Toyota has taken a big step toward turning its FT-Me Concept into a real, street-legal city car after securing £15 million from the UK government to study production of an L6e quadricycle.
The FT-Me would sit in the same tiny-car category as the Citroën Ami and Microlino: limited to 8bhp and a top speed of 28mph, designed for short urban trips rather than highways. Toyota describes the concept as “a big piece in the wider mobility jigsaw” — a compact, low-impact option aimed at city drivers and last-mile use.
Who’s involved
Toyota will work with last-mile van maker Elm, materials specialist Savcor (providing a solar-panel roof Toyota has previously said can recover up to 19 miles of range a day) and the University of Derby, which will research how real customers might use the vehicle. Components from Elm’s Evolv delivery van will be shared to speed development and cut costs.
Where it could be built
The intention is to design and assemble the FT-Me at Toyota’s Corolla plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire, keeping manufacturing local and leveraging existing UK automotive capacity.
What the funding means
The cash comes from the government’s Drive35 programme — a £2.5 billion fund to help UK industry shift to zero-emission vehicles. Drive35 grants must be matched by at least 50% from recipients; Toyota’s quadricycle project is reported to amount to £30.3 million in total investment, with Toyota and its partners covering the balance.
Why it matters
If the feasibility work pays off, the FT-Me would give UK cities another genuinely compact EV option and could open new use cases for solar-assisted urban transport and lightweight manufacture. As Dariusz Mikolajczak, managing director of Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK, put it, the funding “allows us to advance our understanding around the feasibility of creating a cutting-edge battery-electric vehicle that addresses the growing demand for sustainable urban mobility.”
Bottom line
This isn’t a production announcement yet — it’s a funded feasibility push — but the combination of government backing, industrial partners and Toyota’s local manufacturing plans makes the FT-Me one of the more credible micro-EV projects currently under way in the UK.
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