Author: Admin

• Early glimpse of the new Mirai at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show
• Driving range extended by up to 30%
• Latest fuel-cell electric vehicle technology improves dynamics and efficiency

Toyota will take advanced zero-emission fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology to new heights when it previews the second-generation Mirai at this month’s Tokyo Motor Show.

The concept car will provide an early glimpse of the advances Toyota is making across the board with the new Mirai in terms of technical excellence, dynamic performance and desirable design.

Scheduled for launch in 2020 – initially in Japan, North America and Europe in areas supported by a refuelling infrastructure – the new Mirai will be much more than an eco-car. It has been designed to demonstrate how Toyota’s FCEV technology can help create a vehicle that is rewarding to drive and beautiful. Efficiency is still a critical area, and Toyota is targeting a 30% increase in the Mirai’s driving range through improvements to the fuel-cell system and the use of larger on-board hydrogen tanks.

The new Mirai’s immediate impact is in its exterior design with low lines, elegant proportions, sleek, taut bodywork and 20” wheels that together generate a powerful and distinctive look. The preview car will be presented in a specially developed new blue paint finish that uses multiple layers to achieve an exceptional brightness and depth of colour.

The interior has been conceived as a simple, modern space with a warm, comfortable ambience that adds to the sense of enjoyment for drivers and passengers. Key elements include a 12.3” centre display and an instrument panel that wraps around the driver. The platform and intelligent packaging allow for five seats to be provided in place of the current Mirai’s four.

The freedom to craft a more emotional and head-turning design has been one of the benefits of new Mirai being constructed on Toyota’s latest rear-wheel-drive modular platform, which was engineered to accommodate different powertrains – including a hydrogen fuel cell – from the outset. It gives the new Mirai an even higher degree of body rigidity, which contributes to greater agility and responsiveness, and a lower centre of gravity, which makes for nimble, rewarding handling.

As well as extending the potential driving range, improvements in the performance of the fuel-cell system give the new Mirai linear, smooth response when pulling away and an elegant driving feel, with unity between the driver’s throttle inputs and the car’s acceleration. Handling is light and easy on winding roads, while highway driving produces an exceptional sense of power at all speeds.

Mirai chief engineer Yoshikazu Tanaka said: “We have pursued the goal of making a car that customers will feel they want to drive all time, a car that has an emotional and attractive design and the kind of dynamic and responsive performance that can bring a smile to the driver’s face.

“I want customers to say, ‘I chose the Mirai not just because it’s an FCEV, but because I simply wanted this car; it just happens to be an FCEV.’ We will continue our development work focusing on that feeling, and we hope that with the new Mirai we will be a leader in helping realise a hydrogen energy society.”

Toyota led the world with the introduction of the hydrogen-powered Mirai sedan in 2014. The current Mirai has been a catalyst for increasing global awareness of how a future clean and sustainable hydrogen society might be achieved. It is technically sophisticated, yet eminently practical, with a driving range of around 500km, easy refuelling in a matter of minutes and no emissions other than pure water. Since launch, around 10 000 units have been sold, while Toyota has actively supported the development of hydrogen fuel infrastructure in key markets worldwide.

• Up to 20 of the e-Palette vehicles to support athlete movement at Tokyo 2020
• Will Offer Low-Speed SAE Level 4 Automated Transportation throughout the Olympic and Paralympic villages
• Vehicle on display from October 24 to November 4 at 2019 Tokyo Motor Show

Toyota announced today that it will supply up to 20 specially-designed “Tokyo 2020 Version” e-Palette vehicles to support athlete mobility at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, where it will provide automated, loop-line transportation at the Olympic and Paralympic villages for athletes and related staff. The battery-electric, automated vehicles have been adapted specifically for use during the Games based on feedback from athletes about their mobility needs.

“Olympic and Paralympic athletes work tirelessly to achieve the impossible, and we wanted to provide them with a vehicle specifically-designed and calibrated to fit their mobility needs during Tokyo 2020,” says Takahiro Muta, Development Leader for the unique version of the e-Palette for Tokyo 2020.

Muta further adds, “Throughout the development process, athletes, especially Para athletes, helped us to better understand how we could adapt and upgrade the e-Palette to better meet the need for simple, convenient and comfortable mobility. We are proud to work with them on a vehicle that will not just move athletes physically throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Village, but will also offer them new opportunities to interact with others, share new experiences, and be moved emotionally.”

First announced in 2018, e-Palette is Toyota’s first vehicle developed specifically for autonomous mobility as a service (“Autono-MaaS1”) applications. It reflects Toyota’s ongoing transition to a mobility company and combines electrification, connected networks and advanced driving technologies to support new shared mobility businesses and business models.

The Tokyo 2020 version has been adapted to meet the unique needs of the Olympic and Paralympic Village, featuring large doors and electric ramps to allow groups of athletes, including Para athletes, to board quickly and easily. The vehicle will be controlled by an automated driving system capable of operating up to 20 kilometres per hour at SAE level2 4, supported by an on-board safety operator.

Deploying the e-Palette to support athlete and staff mobility is a key element of Toyota’s programme to provide advanced mobility solutions for Tokyo 2020 as the first worldwide mobility partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In addition, Toyota plans to leverage the knowledge gained from operating e-Palette at Tokyo 2020 to continue developing the vehicle to support future Mobility-as-a-Service applications. The Tokyo 2020 Version will be revealed and exhibited at Toyota’s booth during the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show3 held in Japan from October 23 to November 4 2019.

OVERVIEW OF THE E-PALETTE “TOKYO 2020 VERSION:

Designed for comfortable mobility

• Designed with front/rear symmetry, a distinctive cube shape and wheels at the four corners, the vehicle offers expansive and comfortable interior space.
• Reflecting Toyota’s commitment to providing “Mobility for all,” it includes handrails and seats that are easy to use regardless of height; the vehicle also features floor, trim, seats and other components with colour contrasts that assist people with colour-blindness.

Enabling quick and easy entry/exit for passengers

• The e-Palette is equipped with large sliding doors, low floors, electric ramps, and an Arrival Control4 system for use when approaching destinations to enable passengers, including those in wheelchairs, to enter and exit quickly and easily.
• With its long wheelbase and flat floor, the vehicle can transport up to four passengers in wheelchairs along with additional standing passengers at one time.

Low-speed automated driving with a focus on safety

• The e-Palette is equipped with a specially-designed automated driving system that includes control hardware, software, and advanced sensors such as cameras and LiDAR. Combined with high-accuracy 3D mapping and an operation management system, e-Palette will realise low-speed automated driving at SAE level 4.
• To support safe operation, the e-Palette features an external human-machine interface designed to assist communication with those around the vehicle, including pedestrians, during automated driving. Headlamps on the front and rear of the vehicle mimic eye contact to inform pedestrians of vehicle actions.
• The automated driving system constantly monitors for obstacles across a full 360-degree field of vision around the vehicle and operates at a speed appropriate and in accordance with the surrounding environment. As a preventative measure, an on-board safety operator will also monitor the vehicle’s movement and be prepared to take control if necessary.

MAIN SPECIFICATIONS

Length/Width/Height/Wheelbase	5,255 mm/2,065 mm/2,760 mm/4,000 mm
No. of passengers	Up to 20* (including one operator) *For wheelchairs: Up to 4 wheelchair + 7 standing passengers
Range	Approx. 150 km
Speed	19 km/h

*1 Combination of “autonomous” and “mobility as a service” describing Toyota’s mobility services using automated driving vehicles.

*2 Society of Automotive Engineering – SAE Level references can be found here

*3 The special invitation days is on October 24; the show is open to the general public from October 25 to November 4

*4 it controls the vehicle to stop at the designated boarding and alighting location, and minimizing the gap to the bus stop itself.

The Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS) is proud to announce that it has received a R70 million endowment from the Toyota SA Educational Trust to create a Manufacturing Ambassador Scholarship to fund promising students who want to complete a manufacturing-focused MBA.

The generous endowment will allow TWIMS to fund up to 90% of the total cost of a student’s studies, their boarding on campus during class and exams and their travel and expenses for the international learning module. In total, the value to each student is R450 000 over two years, leaving only R50 000 for each student or their employer to pay.

“With the endowment from the Toyota SA Educational Trust we can welcome more deserving students onto our programme and help deepen the appreciation for and understanding of manufacturing in South Africa,” says Professor Justin Barnes, Executive Director of TWIMS.

The endowment is one of the largest of its kind in South Africa and follows a previous endowment of R56 million, which helped to create the state-of-the-art TWIMS Campus and fund the purchase of high-tech teaching equipment.

Despite the seed funding and new endowment, TWIMS is independent from Toyota SA Motors and is incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation with academic affiliation to the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Gauteng.

“As Toyota we are deeply committed to South Africa and its future economic growth. We believe that manufacturing and industrialisation are paramount to long-term growth and job creation.

“We hope to stimulate this sector with our contribution to TWIMS and its goal of creating an industrial Africa, built on world-class manufacturing capabilities,” says Dr. Johan van Zyl, chair of TWIMS and CEO of Toyota Europe.

Using the funds donated by the Trust, TWIMS will recruit up to 10 students annually to study towards their GIBS Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialisation in manufacturing. The programme for the sponsorship of deserving students will be called the Ambassador Scholarship and it will require recipients to actively champion the cause of manufacturing in South Africa, both during and after they have completed their studies.

To qualify for the grant, a student must successfully pass the strict entrance criteria set by TWIMS and its academic partner, GIBS. Aside from submitting their curriculum vitae, a motivation for participating in the MBA and passing all entrance exams, the applicants must also write an essay on manufacturing in South Africa and their vision for the sector.

“We are proud of our association with TWIMS and excited about the future contribution of our manufacturing-focused graduates. The large endowment by the Toyota SA Educational Trust will play a major role in growing the impact of this qualification and no doubt help us to stimulate and grow the manufacturing sector,” says Professor Nicola Kleyn, Dean of GIBS.

The GIBS MBA with manufacturing focus, as taught at TWIMS, includes all core GIBS MBA modules and a selection of at least five specialised manufacturing electives. These include subjects such as lean manufacturing, the green economy, African trade and industrialisation and Industry 4.0. Students will also join an international manufacturing-focused study trip to one of several countries, chosen to showcase a specific aspect of industrialisation and manufacturing. These include Japan, Turkey and Kenya.

TWIMS was first established in 2018 and welcomed its first cohort of students in 2019. It will produce its first graduates in 2020, the same year it will welcome the first of the Manufacturing Ambassadors.

Says Andrew Kirby, CEO of Toyota SA Motors: “Industrialisation is a primary driver for economic growth. This endowment from the Toyota SA Educational Trust will help to facilitate a deeper integration between the science of manufacturing and management science in general.”

For more information on the GIBS Manufacturing MBA or to apply for the Manufacturing Ambassador Scholarship, please visit twimsafrica.com.

• Enhanced Local Value Addition
• Ongoing Investment
• Safe2School, Safe2Home
• Hilux KD packs to Kenya

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) is proud to announce that it has made substantial enhancements to the local production of its popular Hiace Ses’fikile model, by increasing the local value addition. This was facilitated by a R454 million investment in the bespoke production facility in Durban. The announcement was made by Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of TSAM, at the historic occasion attended by various industry stakeholders and dignitaries – including the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel.

“In terms of the South African Automotive Masterplan (SAAM), local automotive value addition needs to be exponentially increased. TSAM is committed to support the SAAM and has therefore proactively increased the local value addition of the Hiace Ses’fikile from 38% to 44%. This localisation has added R422 million per annum local value addition to the economy. Even more encouraging is the fact that we’ve been able to create an additional 80 jobs in the process.” says Kirby.

“The latest contribution places TSAM’s total investment in the Hiace Plant at over R1 billion since our initial investment in 2012. In 2012 TSAM switched from importing the Hiace Taxi as a Complete Built up (CBU) to a Semi Knock-down (SKD) vehicle, and in 2015 to a Complete Knock-down (CKD). Since the introduction of the local manufacture of this product we have seen the volumes increase from 9 300 units to 14 000 units per year, which equated to an increase of 37%. The most recent increase in demand from our customers to 15 000 units per annum has given us this opportunity to deepen our localisation, which will allow us to improve affordability over time.

“This investment of nearly half a billion rand by TSAM is another major vote of confidence in the capability of the South African automotive industry and the KwaZulu-Natal economy. Manufacturing is the largest contributor to economic output in the province, supporting more than 350 000 direct jobs.

“Since TSAM’s localisation programme began, more than 80 000 taxis have been assembled locally by Toyota. If each of those taxis opened their doors to commuters right now, more than a million South Africans would be able to climb in. The increased level of local content is an important part of the 2035 vision for the industry and will increase the participation of more South Africans in this thriving sector of the economy,” says Patel.

According to Kirby: “The minibus taxi industry plays a pivotal role within the South African transport system, and as such, is important in supporting the wheels of our economy. TSAM is proud to be a part of this Industry and is continually looking for opportunities to participate in Social upliftment programmes. Today we would like to highlight two of these programmes that have a direct bearing on minibus taxi commuters and those who operate them.

“The first of these is the Safe2School, Safe2Home project focusing on improving the safe transport of learners traveling by minibus taxis to school. This initiative is one that I am personally passionate about, in that the Taxi owners, drivers, parents and teachers will be better educated on road safety. This initiative, together with the eThekweni Transport Authority and Global Road Safety Partnership (South Africa), will impact 120 taxi drivers and operators within 24 schools and approximately 6 800 learners.

“We have a tailor-made Taxi Education Programme, with the expressed aim of empowering taxi operators by providing them with business, leadership and entrepreneurial skills.” About 600 taxi operators nationwide have already participated, with 645 planned over the next two years.”

TSAM also announced the start of its export operations to support local assembly of Hilux in Kenya. TSAM is embracing the direction of local assembly, and has therefore invested close to R20 million for the establishment of its packing plant to support this knock down business. The essence of manufacturing as intended under Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP) remains intact. There is no change to the value addition and employment has, however, with employment increasing by 20 additional people. Start of production in Kenya will be later in October 2019 and customers in Kenya will benefit by being able to buy their vehicles at a more competitive price.

TSAM is committed to the growth of the automotive industry and as such will continue its contribution to the social and economic development of Africa as a whole.