Toyota APM: the mobility service for the 2020 Olympics

[Jultxxxyes]

 

Toyota is determined to make the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo look like a utopian idea of a Japan for all. He has already promised to bring some interesting vehicles and prototypes to the festivities, with a wide variety of useful purposes. His latest creation for that purpose is the Toyota APM (Accessible People Mover), which seeks to take a simple concept and combine it with the latest technology.

Japan's largest automaker (and second in the world, with 10.6 million vehicles sold), is also one of the main sponsors of the 2020 Olympics. The brand will provide around 200 Toyota APM. These vehicles will offer short distance trips not only for visitors, but also for athletes and Paralympic personnel. There will also be specific variants that will even serve as ambulances in emergency situations.

 

“Accessible” is the keyword of the Toyota APM: the passenger area has been designed flexibly to provide inclusive transportation, allowing accessibility for the elderly, with disabilities, pregnant women and families with young children. The vehicle is open to the sides to facilitate entry and exit. For wheelchair users, the three seats in the second row can be folded, leaving a sufficiently large area free. Floor fixing options increase safety and ramps simplify access.

Although autonomous driving is being promoted now more than ever, the Toyota APM will be run by a driver who sits in the central front, with two rows in the back for passengers - or only one - and a ramp to board. The driver gets an unobstructed view thanks to a panoramic windshield, while passengers can also enjoy a seat with a wide view given its completely open design on both sides. Come on, like a golf cart.

The Toyota APM works thanks to a lithium-ion battery with an unspecified capacity, but the company claims that the autonomy is 100 km and its maximum speed of 19 km / h. Its turning radius is especially remarkable, 4.8 meters between curbs, less than a SEAT Ibiza (5.3 m). We have already seen that Toyota announced two other mobility vehicles for the event, the e-Palette and the Concept-i. In addition, the brand intends to deploy 16 of its human support robots to help transport items and direct people to their seats.