Toyota Motor Corp (TYO:7203) announced that it will conduct a feasibility study of hybrid boats from July 2018 to March 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.
The carmaker said that it will loan the hybrid “PONAM-28V” model to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government with no charge.
The Metropolitan will use the PONAM-28V for the maintenance of piers and other port facilities at the Port of Tokyo as well as for visits to Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues along the Tokyo Bay waterfront by the relevant parties.
In addition, the PONAM-28V will be utilized for canal tours at the Port of Tokyo for Tokyo residents and visitors.
“By adopting the parallel hybrid system in a leisure craft, Toyota is striving to assure customers of the cruising range by utilizing two types of power generators―the engine and electric motor. Furthermore, the EV (Electric Vehicle) mode cruising realizes low emissions, high fuel efficiency, and low noise levels,” Toyota Motor Corp (TYO:7203) said in a statement.
The Metropolitan will provide the hybrid boat’s operational data to Toyota to help validate the overall performance of the hybrid system and to verify the convenience and improvement areas of hybrid boats.
Toyota is bullish on marine business. It developed appealing mobility products in the nautical field, including the 35-foot “PONAM-35”, 31-foot “PONAM-31”, and 28-foot “PONAM-28V”.
In other news, Toyota Motor reported its U.S. March 2017 sales of 215,224 units, a 2.1% decrease from March 2016 on a volume basis.
Toyota division posted March 2017 sales of 187,289 units, down 1.2% on a volume and daily selling rate (DSR) basis.
Lexus posted sales of 27,935 units, down 7.5% on a volume and DSR basis. Camry posts sales of 35,648 units, while Corolla’s sales were over 30,000 units. Highlander sales jumped 20.8%, while 4Runner sales were up 25.5%.
Meanwhile, Toyota Motor said that it plans to use artificial intelligence in new research to speed up the discovery of advanced battery materials and fuel-cell catalysts to power electric and other emission-free vehicles, Reuters reported. The company will spend around $35 million in its North American research arm, the Toyota Research Institute (TRI).