The Summer Olympics is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. It was first held in Greece and was recently held in Brazil. The International Olympic Committee sees to the affairs of the event by working with organizers and host countries; it has been in existence since 1896.
Initially, the Tokyo Olympics was scheduled to be held in July/August 2020. However, because of the adverse effects of COVID-19 on most participating countries, it was inevitably postponed till July/August 2021. While the games are being held in '21, the event remains branded as the “2020 Tokyo Olympics.”
So, without further ado, let's look at the vehicles that will appear at the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics.
What To Expect From The Tokyo Olympics
One silver lining of the Games being postponed is that it made room for the adoption of new advanced technology. This has heavily influenced the planning process of the Olympics to make the upcoming Games more technologically developed and innovative.
Tokyo 2020 is also set to launch numerous fascinating and advanced technologies on the global stage.
These include self-driving vehicles, facial recognition systems, robot assistance or guidance, immersive live viewing, and instant language translation, among others.
Another goal of Japan is to achieve the lowest emission level of any official fleet used at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In achieving this, plans are being made with Toyota to provide 3,700 mobility products for the games, 90% of which will be electric.
Basically, Japan is set to use this global sports event as a platform to showcase a whole host of emerging tech that could go on to revolutionize the world.
Meet The Vehicles Of Tokyo 2020
The vehicle lineup for the next Summer Olympics is pretty strong. One of the most interesting aspects of this lineup is how the Toyota Motor Corporation, a worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, plans to provide a full lineup of electrified vehicles to support the event. Here are some of the vehicles set to be used at the 2021 Summer Olympics:
Toyota APM (Accessible People Mover)
Toyota is one of the main sponsors of Tokyo 2020 and also doubles as Japan’s biggest automaker. Toyota is set to deploy about 200 units of its new creation called the Toyota APM (Accessible People Mover) to transport people around venues during the Games. The automobile will offer short distant rides to visitors, athletes, and Olympic and Paralympic staff, alike.
The APM can conveniently carry six passengers, including the driver. It can also accommodate a person in a wheelchair if the second-row seat is folded in. It is said to be powered by lithium-ion batteries, runs 62 miles on a single charge and have a maximum speed of approximately 12 MPH.
e-Palette (Tokyo 2020 Version)
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This vehicle is also from the stable of Toyota. It is, in fact, Toyota’s first BEV developed specifically for Autono-MaaS, an Uber and Toyota partnership that means “autonomous-mobility as a service,” and it is the automaker’s first-ever electric vehicle to be powered by battery.
The automobile is set to support the transportation needs of staff and athletes and also to convey people to the Olympic and Paralympic Village. The e-Palette is anticipated to feature automated driving operation while Toyota will provide a digital control system to monitor the general operation process and vehicle conditions.
Toyota Concept-I (Tokyo 2020 Version)
The Toyota Concept-I was first unveiled in 2017. It is a hi-tech, one-motion silhouette exterior design from Toyota that seeks to heighten participant’s excitement during the Games. It is in plans to be used as the operating vehicle at the Olympic torch relay and lead vehicle in the marathon.
According to Toyota, the vehicle uses artificial intelligence to absorb driving patterns, emotions, and schedules to improve the quality of life for the passengers.
The Mirai
The word “Mirai” means “future” and is used as the title for the final vehicle in Tokyo 2020's lineup – it has an MSRP of $58,500 and emits zero CO2 thanks to use of hybrid hydrogen fuel cell technology. 500 Mirai vehicles will be provided for the transport of Games’ staff around Tokyo 2020's official venues.
Notably, the Mirai uses hydrogen. The Mirai basically delivers all that is expected of a next-generation car, especially when it comes to its design, exhilaration, stability, gravity, comfort, and acceleration.
Final Thoughts
One outstanding feature that distinguishes the 2021 Olympics games from previous Games is that Japan wants to introduce a twist by implementing an exceptional blend of technological advancement in a far more prioritized manner.
With the innovative incentives that have been put in place by the organizers of the upcoming Olympics, it is obvious that spectators and viewers from all over the world are in for an exciting ride as the organizers’ aims are to achieve “Mobility for All”, as well as sustainability when it comes to transporation. We can't wait to see what Japan has in store for us when the opening ceremony takes place on July 23rd.