One of Toyota’s more interesting JMS-2025 exhibits was a truck chassis called IMV Origin. If you look at it, it might seem incomplete or only half-assembled, but the company says that’s actually the whole idea.
To be specific, the IMV Origin is envisioned as a DIY crate vehicle for shipping into developing countries in Africa and elsewhere. Giving the owners the opportunity to put together their own truck using simple and readily available tools is cheaper than shipping preassembled units into markets where every dollar counts.
Furthermore, there are more than one way to assemble the “crate truck” based on your needs. For instance, you can put a cargo bed on top of it, then dismantle it when no longer needed and install a passenger cabin instead.
Toyota says it came up with the idea when studying the rural settlements of Africa. By mass-shipping the IMV Origin into the region, the company hopes to create many new jobs there, including whole auto shops that would specialize in building and rebuilding these trucks.
The exact dimensions and technical specifications of the vehicle remain to be announced. The example that debuted in Tokyo earlier this week only had the driver’s seat installed, a frame with a plastic screen, a roof and a very basic flatbed.
