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When thousands of people converge on Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the city's infrastructure will be tested. Toyota is getting into the mix to handle some of the ways people will get around the city and the Olympics venue.
Toyota unveiled Thursday a new product called APM, or Accessible People Mover, which is designed for the Olympics and Paralympic Games.
The aim, according to Toyota, is for this vehicle to provide "mobility for all" and to solve the so-called "last mile" problem. In Toyota's view, that means a vehicle that can transport as many people as possible, including elderly, pregnant women, families with young children and people with disabilities.
Toyota will deploy 200 of these vehicles, which will operate in and around the event. There will be two models — basic and relief — in the fleet. The basic version is a low-speed short-distance battery electric vehicle that will be used to transport visitors and staff within the Olympic grounds. Each vehicle will hold six people, including the driver. When used for passengers in wheelchairs, the configuration can be modified by folding the seats to allow the wheelchair rider in the second row.
The "relief" model will be used for emergencies. The rows can be moved to provide space for a stretcher and two relief stretchers.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 26 2019, @12:30AM (3 children)
From the single image provided, and the limited text in TFA, you really don't learn much. Good idea, but it's hard to tell how chintzy, or how high quality this "vehicle" is. Low speed? Are they going to run it as-is, without doors? Alright, I guess. But, they better put some wheels under it, unless they plan on ground effects fans. In which case, they need a skirt to contain the air pressure.
All I see is a concept drawing, and incomplete at that.
(Score: 2) by PinkyGigglebrain on Friday July 26 2019, @01:53AM
You don't always need a skirt for a ground effect vehicle. A skirt allows for better ground clearance and requires less horse power, but I've seen plenty of GA vehicles that didn't have a skirt.
But it looks to me like it just has smaller wheels like a golf cart, look at the humps in under the front/rear seats.
I do think your spot on about it being a CAD rendered drawing of a concept. Will the final vehicle actually look exactly like this? who knows?
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 5, Informative) by MostCynical on Friday July 26 2019, @02:23AM (1 child)
they have wheels, and no doors.
more photos/renderings here [toyota.co.uk]
related (and some prototype) vehicles here [toyota.co.uk]
they are small, electric milk carts, crossed with people-mover style golf carts, like these [yamahagolfcar.com]
Toyota is already making vehicles like these. So are other companies [golfcartcityonline.com]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday July 26 2019, @01:55PM
LOL, great photos in those links. Especially the pizza mover vehicle! When you're sitting through a long day of Olympics, you gotta have some pizza to munch on!
https://d1r57ja1amoclf.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/e-Palette-01.jpg [cloudfront.net]