The Toyota A-Bat hybrid pickup truck will be debuted at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which begins on Monday, January 14. The Toyota A-Bat is for now a gasoline-electric hybrid concept vehicle designed in Newport Beach, California by Calty as well as the TMS Advanced Product Strategy group.
The Toyota A-Bat is a shortbed 4-cylinder with Hybrid Synergy Drive and few inventive features. The bed is only 4 feet long but the roof slides forward to accept taller objects and the tailgate folds down to accept a 4 ‘ by 8 ‘ object in the bed. One of the cool features of the Toyota A-Bat is the rear bumper pulls forward for extra storage.
The Toyota A-Bat also has solar panels mounted in the driver side and passenger side dashboard areas, which supplies power to the instrument panels and other accessories. The A-Bat also has a removable power pack between the front seats that can provide energy to cell phones, laptops and other devices.
With the ruggedness of a pickup truck and the styling of an SUV, the Toyota A-Bat is swinging for the fences in the hybrid marketplace. With only Dodge and GM as current competitors, a production version of the Toyota A-Bat would be a welcomed addition to the marketplace.