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Struts and Volts

Struts and Volts

Jason K. Ang

Toyota teases vehicles and concepts ahead of Japan Mobility Show 2023

 

Juu

Toyota will be showing off its version of the future of the automobile at the Japan Mobility Show 2023. Among Toyota’s display highlights will be an electric Land Cruiser, an electric midsize pickup, and a pair of personal mobility concepts (electric too, natch). Toyota will even display an all-new cockpit control system that combines automotive and motorcycle-type controls, and to top it all off: a moon rover. First up is the new Land Cruiser Se. This will be a way to address the Land Cruiser’s biggest failure: its gas- (or diesel-) guzzling powertrain. Instead of a large internal combustion engine, the Land Cruiser Se will have a battery-electric system designed to quickly haul the large SUV around.

Land Cruiser Se has a substantial footprint at 5150mm long x 1990mm wide, probably providing ample space for its seven passengers. The large SUV will be built on a monocoque platform suitable engineered to be capable of heavy off-roading, as befits the Land Cruiser nameplate.

Toyota Land Cruiser SE

Following on the silent trail of the LC is a new battery-electric pickup truck. The midsize pickup will be just over 5 meters long, at 5070mm, and 1910mm wide. The EPU pickup will have a lengthy 3350mm wheelbase and will feature a low center gravity made possible by its electric powertrain.

From the great outdoors, Toyota will focus on personal mobility for both indoor and outdoor application. The Land Hopper is a three-wheeled electric scooter that features a low seat height and compact body. This makes getting on and off the bike easier. The Land Hopper will also have mechanically-linked front wheels, to reportedly allow for an exhilarating ride different from that of a car or bicycle.

For the disabled, Toyota will roll out the Juu electric wheelchair. The wheelchair features two large powered main wheels. Together with a retractable tail that stabilizes the device, they allow the wheelchair to climb or descent a stairway. Juu can negotiate steps up to 16cm tall. Automotive-grade components assure the user of the Juu’s reliability and quality.

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Then it’s off to the moon, Mars, or beyond. Toyota will be exhibiting its Space Mobility concept, an experimental vehicle that will be a platform for exploring the moon or other planets. The Space Mobility vehicle can climb steep 25-degree slopes and overcome boulders up to 50cm tall.

The Land Hopper is a three-wheeled electric scooter that features a low seat height and compact body.

Aside from the new vehicle concepts, Toyota will be demonstrating a new way of controlling a car. Forget about boring old steering wheel and pedals. The Neo Steer cockpit concept combines a yoke-type steering wheel with accelerator and brake levers. This allows a driver to operate the vehicle without using pedals, thus freeing up the floor space.

Toyota will also exhibit other vehicles like the Kayoibako concept, an electric vehicle that can be customized for various passenger and cargo applications. The concept truck aims to provide a new type of mobility, perfectly reflecting the new moniker of the auto show: Japan Mobility Show.