Toyota is building 200 electric shuttles just for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo

Toyota is known as a lagger in the auto industry when it comes to all-electric vehicles, but it is actually building an all-electric shuttle just for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Today, the Japenese automaker made the announcement and unveiled the first images and specs for the vehicle, which they call the “APM (Accessible People Mover)”:

“The Accessible People Mover (APM) is a low-speed, short-distance battery electric vehicle (BEV) suitable for the transportation of visitors and staff at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. It will feature three-row seating and can accommodate wheelchairs in the second row by folding the seats. It can also accommodate a stretcher.”

Here are two images released by Toyota today:

During the Games, Toyota plans to employ approximately 200 of the APMs, which will “support the transportation of the visitors and staff to and around various facilities, including places where events or competitions will be held and non-event official sites such as the Olympic Village.”

It can transport up to five passengers and can be configured to transport wheelchair riders or relief staff.

The automaker didn’t release the energy capacity of the battery pack, but it is planning for a short range of 100 km at a max speed of 19 km/h:

Toyota listed some of the features of the Accessible People Mover (APM):

1. “Basic Model”: To support more event attendance, provide “last one mile” transportation

• • A low-speed, short-distance battery electric vehicle (BEV) suitable for the transportation of visitors and staff within large event/venue grounds.
  • Used by all types of attendees to the Games, including staff and athletes, as well as others, such as visitors including the elderly, people with impairments, pregnant women, and families with small children.
  • The APM will feature three-row seating. In the first row will be the driver’s seat, the second row provides seating for three, and the third row will offer seating for two, allowing total seating for six people, five passengers and one 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.
  • With safety in mind, the position of the driver’s seat has been elevated and centrally located in order to allow the driver to see passengers and support their individual needs as they enter/exit the vehicle.
  • Passenger seats are accessible from both sides of the vehicle, and the overall design considers varying customers’ needs, with safety bars on both sides to help passengers while entering and exiting the vehicle, and fitted with wheelchair anchor plates and ramps to enable the optimal access and transportation of wheelchair passengers.

2. “Relief” Specifications: Providing relief activities during the Games

• • While using the basic model as the foundation, half of the second and third row space has been reserved for a stretcher. In addition, to help convey people seeking relief in a stable, safe way, a stretcher that can be attached/secured in the vehicle will also be equipped.
  • The vehicle has also been designed with space to allow two relief staff workers to sit immediately adjacent to the stretcher.