Toyota City Drone and Other New Vehicle Prototypes

Toyota City Drone is a new type of vehicle that combines a VTOL aircraft and a road car. Its first manned flight was recently completed in Japan. The single-seater, which is powered by eight motors, circled around for four minutes while being controlled by a pilot. It was shown off at the Automotive Engineering Exposition 2018 Yokohama. This is the prototype of a new form of transportation for urban aerial mobility that will help address problems caused by traffic congestion, environmental burdens and the lack of transport in underpopulated areas.

In a similar vein, Toyota has invested $394 million in Santa Cruz, CA-based Joby Aviation. The company is developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air mobility. Toyota’s investment will accelerate the development and certification of Joby’s breakthrough aircraft. It’s also intended to enable the creation of new services utilizing drones that can address the growing need for fast, safe and affordable personal mobility.

Those services might include drone logistics, 豊田市 ドローン which can address challenges associated with the distribution of goods in remote areas. Toyota Tsusho has already started a business utilizing drones to deliver medical and pharmaceutical supplies, which will support the local residents of the Goto Islands in the south of Japan. The company hopes this business can help to eliminate gaps in access to healthcare, as well as solve issues that arise from the lack of a stable supply of medicine.

On a more conventional front, Toyota recently unveiled its 2022 Camry Hybrid LE. This version has a more upscale appearance with 18-inch black wheels and sporty suspension tuning. Pricing starts at $27,380, which is a bit on the steep side, but you get more features with the top-of-the-line XSE model that costs $32,820. That includes ventilated seats and a premium audio system with an 8-inch touchscreen, six speakers, and Apple CarPlay compatibility.

On a larger scale, Toyota is building a prototype “city” of the future in Japan. The 175-acre site is called Woven City and it will allow researchers to test autonomous driving, robotics, and other technologies in a real-world environment. The town will have three different types of streets or pathways, with one being for higher-speed powered vehicles like cars and trucks, another for slower personal mobility devices such as bicycles, and a third parklike path for pedestrians.