Toyota has just launched an all-new EV, though this isn't the kind of EV you're probably thinking of. It's a new mobility vehicle designed to help out at events like the 2020 Olympic Games.
Toyota is a partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Tokyo in 2020. As part of that, the automaker is supplying vehicles to the event. This will be one of them, designed for what Toyota calls "last one mile" mobility. It's called the Accessible People Mover or APM.
It's more than a glorified golf cart, designed to transport visitors to the games with accessibility needs as well as athletes and staff. Toyota's planning on having around 200 APMs around the various Olympic facilities.
With three rows of seats, it can hold five passengers and a driver. Or the middle row seats can fold away to let it transport a wheelchair and rider along with two passengers. Just like a McLaren F1, the driver is seated in the center, allowing better visibility. And, we assume, clipping apexes. Safety bars and wheelchair anchors give it more safety and optimal access.
There's a second version designed for more pressing access needs. It can hold a stretcher along with a driver and two relief workers to get people to medical attention.
This isn't a quick one, with a top speed of 19 km/h. But it does have a range of 100 km, so if you need some help on the marathon, the APM can be there for you. If you're watching the games next summer, expect to see lots of these on the sidelines.
