Toyota, renowned as the global mobility partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), has unveiled its forward-thinking mobility concept for the much-anticipated Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Promoting Inclusivity and Sustainability
Toyota’s philosophy of “Ever Better Mobility for All” emphasizes that freedom of movement is fundamental for a diverse and inclusive society. The company is on a trajectory to evolve into a mobility-centric entity, dedicated to reducing mobility barriers for individuals, regardless of their physical abilities. Paris 2024, hosting a vast array of athletes, staff, and volunteers, stands as a testament to what can be achieved when striving for a more inclusive society.
In partnership with the IOC, IPC, and the Paris Organising Committee of Olympic and Paralympic Games, Toyota is focused on making Paris 2024 the epitome of inclusive and sustainable mobility. The initiative commences by ensuring sustainable and safe mobility options for athletes and their families, staff, volunteers, and spectators.
In the larger cities of developed countries, some areas are now closed off the cars as a way to remove congestion and also pollution. Efficient public transport systems bring people into these urban areas where they get off at specific points. Some may be lucky as their destination might be nearby, but there will also be others who may have to walk that ‘last kilometre’ to their office.
Various companies have worked on addressing this final mobility connection by coming out with small vehicles that are allowed to be used within the restricted areas. As they are electrically powered, they are pollution-free so air quality will not be affected.
Mobilize, Renault’s brand which focusses on mobility, has come up with a new micro vehicle called the Duo which provides convenient, appealing personal transport that even a 14-year old can use (in France). Measuring 2.43 metres long and 1.3 metres wide, the Duo can accommodate two people and occupy just one-third of a standard parking space.
GENTARI Sdn Bhd, which was established in June this year, had its official launch by the Prime Minister recently, raising its presence among Malaysians. The company, formerly known as PETRONAS Gas & New Energy Sdn Bhd, aims to become a one-stop integrated clean energy solutions provider, beginning with a suite of renewable energy, hydrogen and green mobility solutions for commercial, industrial, and retail applications.
Having begun operations earlier under its old name, GENTARI has already embarked upon a series of initiatives and collaborations in its mission to rank amongst the world’s leading clean energy companies. Guided by the Net Zero Carbon Emission 2050 goals of PETRONAS, it has set a course to ensure that PETRONAS continues to evolve as a cleaner and renewable energy provider, while supporting the energy transition.
Since being established 73 years ago, Honda Motor has been able to remain independent instead of becoming part of a bigger group. On its own, it has been able to successfully manage its business and endure even the most challenging periods without having to surrender its independence. However, the 21st century sees the auto industry changing and with the move towards electric vehicles (EVs), the cost of developing entirely new technologies is very high. In April, Honda became the first Japanese automaker to declare its intention will stop selling combustion-engines vehicles by 2040.
So even though Honda has preferred to be a ‘lone ranger’, it has been forming strategic alliances with some companies in the area of EVs because it is crucial to remain competitive in the new field, and sharing resources is more realistic. Honda has already agreed with General Motors to jointly develop two all-new EVs for Honda’s range, based on GM’s global EV platform. The EVs will be manufactured at GM plants in North America with sales expected to begin in 2024 for that market.
New joint-venture company
On another front, Honda will be working with Sony Group Corporation to develop EVs as well. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that outlines their intent to form a joint venture company through which they plan to engage in the joint development and sales of high value-added battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and commercialize them in conjunction with providing mobility services. The new company is expected to be established before the end of this year.
The Honda e, a fully electric EV model, is already on sale in Europe.
This alliance aims to bring together Honda’s mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology and aftersales service management experience, while Sony has expertise in the development and application of imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network, and entertainment technologies.
Sony has already developed EVs
Honda has already developed a few EV models for sale, with the Honda e having received a good response in Europe. Sony has also been developing its own EVs, with two prototypes displayed earlier this year at CES 2022 in Las Vegas. The prototypes appear to have reached quite an advanced stage and have been shown in real-world road-testing.
Sony’s two EVs which were shown at CES 2022 earlier this year.
While Sony announced in January that it would start a new unit called Sony Mobility which would handle commercialization of EVs, this move may well have been too challenging for the company which does not have experience in making cars. Honda, on the other hand, has been producing many fine cars with its decades of experience. As Sony would have vast experience in electronics, which are dominant in EVs, its expertise will be very useful.
So it remains to be seen whether Honda will adopt Sony’s concepts – called VISION-S – or come out with a new design. If they want to do a new design, they have less than 3 years to do so as the plan is to start sales of the first model from the new company in 2025.
A new brand name?
There is also a possibility that the new EVs will have separate branding rather than be sold as Honda or Sony products. This is because the agreement is for the new company ‘to plan, design, develop, and sell the EVs’. It is agreed that Honda will be responsible for manufacturing the first EV model at its own factory.
Honda has had many decades of experience manufacturing cars. not only in Japan but also in other countries.
“The New Company will aim to stand at the forefront of innovation, evolution, and expansion of mobility around the world, by taking a broad and ambitious approach to creating value that exceeds the expectations and imagination of customers. We will do so by leveraging Honda’s cutting-edge technology and know-how in relation to the environment and safety, while aligning the technological assets of both companies. Although Sony and Honda are companies that share many historical and cultural similarities, our areas of technological expertise are very different. Therefore, I believe this alliance which brings together the strengths of our two companies offers great possibilities for the future of mobility,” said Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President, Representative Executive Officer & CEO of Honda Motor.
Zeekr, the premium electric brand in the Geely Holding Group, is less than a year old, having been established early this year. Its first product, the 001, was introduced in April as the flagship of the Zeekr range, with first deliveries starting three months ago. . In the next 5 years, the young carmaker plans to introduce 6 different models to the market.
The electric mobility technology and solutions utilize Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA), with in-house developed battery technologies, battery management systems, electric motor technologies and electric vehicle supply chain support.
Zeekr collaborates with Waymo
Besides its own line of production, Zeekr is also collaborating with Waymo, an American which specialises in autonomous driving technology development. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google. With Waymo, Zeekr will develop a new fully electric vehicle for use by the Waymo One autonomous ride-hailing fleet in the USA.
The plan
The new purpose-built mobility vehicle is being designed and developed at Zeekr’s R&D facility, CEVT (China Europe Vehicle Technology Centre) in Gothenburg, Sweden. This facility has a proven track record in developing class leading vehicles for the wider Geely Holding Group. Under this collaboration, Zeekr will be designing and developing the future vehicle on a new proprietary and open-source mobility architecture. Waymo will take delivery of the vehicles in the United States and will then integrate its fully autonomous Waymo Driver into the vehicle platform.
The new vehicle will be designed to be rider-centric from the outset, setting a new benchmark for autonomous vehicles. The new Zeekr vehicle has been designed for autonomous use-cases and will come with a fully configurable cabin, both with and without driver controls, that can be tailored towards rider requirements of Waymo’s unmanned ride-hailing fleet.
“Zeekr was born on the ideals of equality, diversity, and sustainability. By becoming a strategic partner and vehicle supplier to the Waymo One fleet, we will be able to share our experience, ideals and provide our expertise in collaborating on a fully electric vehicle that fits Waymo’s requirements for this rapidly expanding segment in the global market for sustainable travel,” said Andy An, CEO of Zeekr Technology.
‘Rider-first’ vehicle design
Waymo will integrate its ‘Waymo Driver’ into the new vehicle which is designed to prioritize the comfort, convenience, and preferences of users. The ‘rider-first’ vehicle will have a flat floor for more accessible entry, easy ingress and egress thanks to a B-pillarless design, low step-in height, generous head and legroom, and fully adjustable seats. It will have full compliance with U.S. federal vehicle standards and eventually be without a steering wheel and pedals.
The new autonomous vehicle developed with Geely will join this fleet that includes a hybrid Chrysler Pacifica and Jaguar I-PACE.
Tested in various conditions and climates
Waymo services have been tested in dozens of American cities spanning a diverse range of conditions, climates and topographies. They include New York City, which is the most densely populated city in the country, with busy avenues, unusual road geometries, complex intersections, and constantly evolving layouts.
The prototype vehicle used for the development of Waymo’s autonomous technologies.
The Waymo fleet that the Zeekr vehicle will join has hybrid Chrysler Pacificas and Jaguar I-PACE BEVs. It’s now been over a year that the company has been offering the world’s first commercial fully autonomous ride-hailing service – with no human driver behind the wheel – in the state of Arizona. Tens of thousands of rider-only trips have been done and more people are discovering the convenience of this type of mobility.
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SAIC DESIGN London, an advanced design studio set up by China’s SAIC Group in England, celebrates its third year of operation this year. Earlier, it presented the MG MAZE Concept, one of two concept studies it developed to celebrate its 3-year milestone.
The second concept is more radical in appearance and is described as ‘a vision of future mobility that explores the boundaries between urban mobility and wearable technology’. Called the R RYZR, it is a fusion between a car and a motorcycle and is the ultimate symbiosis of man and machine. It is a car that you actually wear and enjoy the exhilarating feel of riding.
Designed to recognise the shift away from crowded public transport and the need for more instinctive experiences, it can offer the occupant an escape from crowded spaces by combining cutting-edge technical apparel and augmented reality.
‘R’ is the brand that SAIC is using for its future EVs so while the technical aspects are not provided, it would certainly be electrically powered, giving very zippy performance. The structure is also light and much like a frame surrounding the driver.
“R RYZR is an exciting and visceral vision of the future of urban travel,” said Carl Gotham, Advanced Design Director. “By exploring the unconventional, it unlocks new modes of transports for the future, new experiences and new emotions.”
The concept is designed to achieve the ultimate ease of use – motorcycle agility with car-like stability, while the RYZR clothing concept means no need for an app or a key – the vehicle simply recognises the owner’s jacket instead.
“R RYZR is a useful, agile, practical, and exciting form of urban transport,” added Gotham. “It combines the aesthetic of cutting-edge technical apparel and augmented reality with futurism. It’s an exploration of unconventional mode of transports for the future – new architectures, new experiences and new emotions.”
Back in the early 1980s, Honda launched a small hatchback called the City (the original one, not the popular model sold today) and an ‘accessory’ which owners could get with it was a Motocompo motorbike. This was a tiny two-wheel weighing about 45 kgs, and it was designed to fit into the boot of the City with its handlebar and footpegs folded to form a rectangular package.
That Honda came out with such an idea was hardly surprising since the company was the world leader in motorcycles and had all sorts of two-wheelers and other type of motorised vehicles. While the car is just another model in Honda’s history, the Motocompo is fondly remembered and has a certain cult status to it in some countries.
The idea of carrying a motorcycle in the car was to provide mobility for ‘the last mile’ in a journey. The driver could park the car at a fringe carpark at the edge of the city and then ride the motorcycle in, an approach which would be ideal for places with traffic-restricted zones like London and Singapore.
Now Polestar is also revisiting such a concept of mobility using a simple 3-wheeler with a project named Re:Move. The group behind the project saw the need to reimagine last-mile deliveries and how goods are transported within cities as the world looks to reduce reliance on combustion engines. Re:Move strives to become a catalyst for change, inspiring new thinking around electric mobility.
Viable and functional reality
Designer Konstantin Grcic designed Re:Move to be a dynamic, three-wheeled urban ‘sled’, though it is not intended to be carried in a car but could be in a van. A team of e-mobility innovators and material engineers collaborated remotely to make his vision a viable and functional reality. Compact and mobile enough for most bike lanes, but big enough to handle a 275-kg payload, Re:Move defines a new vehicle category. Built with fully recyclable and low carbon aluminium, it will handle deliveries in a cleaner, quieter and kinder way.
“Weight is critical for e-mobility performance, and aluminium offers light weight, high strength and recyclability,” said Jonas Bjuhr, MD of Hydro in Sweden. “As we now see reductions of emissions in the use phase of cars, the next big task for car manufacturers will be to reduce emissions in the production of the vehicles”.
To overcome the complex engineering challenges of realizing his design, Grcic worked with the Hydro engineering team, Polestar’s design engineering lead at the company’s UK R&D facility. A working version of Re:Move will be unveiled sometime during the fourth quarter of this year but the story behind its development thus far will be presented at the SXSW (South by South West) Conference & Festival in Texas next week.
Also involved in the Re:Move project is CAKE, a Swedish company specialising in electric motorcycles. They provide their expertise in drivetrain and battery technology with a view that such a project, involving peak competence, truly accelerates the journey towards zero emissions.
Beginning of a journey
“This is only the beginning,” declared Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar which is owned by Volvo Cars and recognised as a vehicle manufacturer in its own right. “The electric drivetrain is only the first step; then we have to look at the whole supply chain and what materials we design with. This is so much more exciting than the last 20 years when designers were just making things pretty.”
Commenting on the design of the Re:Move, Grcic said: “The horizontal platform and the vertical shield is something you don’t see in vehicle design. This is how you’d build a table or a shelf. I think the simplicity and directness… the pragmatism… is nice. Good design has always been sustainable, because it’s lasting. Things that have a long lifecycle are sustainable.”
“The Re:Move project is an amazing example of what you can achieve when you bring together the right collaborators and they get behind a good, clear idea. There is just a real energy and sense of purpose in play. The engineering and material challenges are actually quite complex but at every turn, solutions have been found. Konstantin has responded to that and the design of Re:Move has rapidly evolved, becoming more compelling and dynamic,” said Nick Compton, contributing editor of Wallpaper (a British design publication), which commissioned the project.
Kuala Lumpur has been chosen as the designated pilot city for the City Architecture for Tomorrow Challenge (CATCH) which was launched today. This is the region’s first global challenge that will attract innovative, data-driven entries from global participants. The aim is to raise efficiency in urban planning and drive forward the future of mobility.
CATCH will seek to address mobility challenges in Kuala Lumpur with a global call for solutions, for a period of 8 months, where participants – from start-ups, academic and research institutions to corporations, or even the general public – can conceptualize and develop solutions that are dynamic, intelligent and data-driven to design future city infrastructures.
Grants of up to US$1.5 million
The competition involves the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF) in partnership with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). This partnership will enable Kuala Lumpur to take the lead in developing next-gen urban development and city mobility management for the region.
TMF will be providing grants at every stage of the challenge – up to US$1.5 million (RM6.211 million) in total – to support teams towards the development and trial-testing of the solutions in Kuala Lumpur. Participants will also have access to expert mentors and an incubation program.
Data empowerment
CATCH will provide participants with data to empower them to develop solutions that will be selected (in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act). The data partners are made up of both public and private sectors that have different data points of a commuter’s journey such as Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, Royal Malaysia Police, Land Public Transport Agency, Grab, MapIT MSC, Mass Rapid Transit Corporation and Prasarana Malaysia.
According to Shin Aoyama, President of Secretariat, Toyota Mobility Foundation, TMF was set up to address mobility issues around the world, using a unique approach driven by sustainability, innovation and partnership. “CATCH was designed in partnership with the Malaysian government, to encourage data-driven but human-centered interventions to improve city planning and the mobility ecosystem,” he explained.
“We take pride in overcoming ‘impossible’ challenges to make ‘Mobility for All’ a reality. TMF provides the platform to create a better, more mobile society and we fully support this digital and data-driven approach,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor, a local partner involved in the competition.
The Toyota Mobility Foundation was established in August 2014 to support the development of a more mobile society. The Foundation aims to support strong mobility systems while eliminating disparities in mobility. It utilizes Toyota’s expertise in technology, safety, and the environment, working in partnership with universities, government, non-profit organizations, research institutions and other organizations to address mobility issues around the world. Programs include resolving urban transportation problems, expanding the utilization of personal mobility, and developing solutions for next generation mobility.
Toyota has revealed its third generation humanoid robot that it calls the T-HR3. The project is part of the automaker’s future mobility programme, which has brought to fruition many innovative and bizarre creations. This particular one was designed and developed by Toyota’s Partner Robot Division.
It will help the company explore new technologies for safely managing physical interactions between robots and their surroundings as well a remote movement system that allows for the robot to mimic the movement of its human operator.
Similar in purpose to Honda’s Asimo, the T-HR3 will help Toyota explore how advanced technologies can help to meet people’s unique mobility needs. It is an evolution of previous generation instrument-playing humanoid robots, which were created to study and develop precise joint movements.
“The Partner Robot team members are committed to using the technology in T-HR3 to develop friendly and helpful robots that coexist with humans and assist them in their daily lives.The core technologies developed for this platform will help inform and advance future development of robots,” said Akifumi Tamaoki, general manager, Partner Robot Division.
T-HR3 is controlled from a Master Maneuvering System, which allows a human operator to manipulate its movement through the use of wearable controls that map hand, arm and foot movements. Using the dead-mounted display, the operator is able to see exactly what the T-HR3 sees, making useful movements far more effective.
Toyota’s new toy is made up of motors, reduction gears and torque sensors that are connected to each of its joints. Working in unison, they operate 29 individual body parts, which allow the robot to mimic with precision, the movements of said operator.
In total, the T-HR3 weights 75kg, which is equivalent to a regular size adult male. It’s moving parts comprises of 32 axes and 10 fingers, which allow for easier and more human-like movement. Its creation is a testament to the ingenuity of Toyota, who, since the 1980s has been developing industrial robots to enhance its manufacturing processes.
