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Judul : Driving Toyota's Hydrogen Car and Future Technology in Japan
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Driving Toyota's Hydrogen Car and Future Technology in Japan

Do you ever wonder how Blackberry once dominated the smartphone industry six years ago and is now in the verge of going under? It'd be easy to blame the iPhone or Android, but that’s sort of like saying that the pig that made its house out of sticks should sue the Big Bad Wolf for his house’s apparent lack of structural integrity. Maybe assault, however. A huffy carnivore can only do so much to force an insurance claim. At some point, the pig should have learned how to build a better house. Toyota, in the long run, doesn't want to become the pig the way that Blackberry did. It doesn't want to let an industry define what it is and strictly abide by those rules. Blackberry defined itself as a work-friendly, email-ready phone. Apple defined its product as a multimedia communications solution, an ever-changing computer that fits in your pocket in your ever-changing life. Now Japan's largest automaker is trying to become the iPhone of mobility, perhaps even your life. Toyota invited us to Japan to see what it's up to, allowing us to drive everything from a prototype hydrogen vehicle that will be sold in the U.S. by 2015 to scooters and medical devices. Heck, we even went inside a prefabbed Toyota-built tract home. Yes, those exist. It's all in the name of becoming much more than just what you drive; it's about becoming a provider of solutions to help live your life easier. So let's see what Toyota's got.

 

2015 Hydrogen Car

For three laps around what will eventually become the site of the 2020 Olympic Village, Toyota gave us the opportunity to drive mules of what will eventually become its hydrogen-powered car that will be sold in California, Japan, Europe, and wherever else the infrastructure crops up. Set to be priced at around $50,000 when it goes on sale in the next two years, the car will have all-new sheetmetal and be able to go more than 300 miles on 5 kg of hydrogen. Using a cheaper fuel cell stack--the converter that turns hydrogen into electricity--than what Toyota has thus far put into limited production for its FCHV-adv Highlander prototypes, the hydrogen car will shave 95 percent of the cost of production from the earlier car, yet be more efficient. The car we drove was a prototype--complete in a Lexus HS 250h body and with a cobbled-together interior--but its powertrain and chassis setup were basically what we'll see when the car reaches production. That is to say that it's punchy, chirping the tires, with whirring from generators and electric motors abound. We estimate it will have between 140 and 150 horsepower. Its steering is progressive, yet numb, which Toyota will surely keep tuning. And its suspension was surprisingly sporty. We'll see what the finished product will look like next month at the Tokyo Motor Show. So far, the car drives like a winner; we hope it will look like one, too. 

 

Toyota i-Road Concept Car

How often do you get the opportunity to drive around a priceless concept car? For us, this would mark the first opportunity, so we made the most of it. The Toyota i-Road is a city car concept that Toyota says is headed for production, at least for Japan and congested urban areas overseas. Sitting tandem, the driver and his or her only passenger go under full electric power. Our tester was limited to 30 km/h, but the i-Road still provided us with an efficient and entertaining experience. In the Toyota i-Road, the front wheels don't actually steer the car; they lean on a fixed yoke that helps the wheels pivot as if you were on a motorcycle. Instead, the rear wheel turns. The result is an ultra-tight turning circle and a driving sensation unlike anything on the road. Could it Toyota i-Road come to the U.S.? Possibly, especially if granted a motorcycle exemption to some federal safety laws. Will it? Toyota officials say that's still very much up in the air. All we know is that it should. It's a hoot to drive. 

 

Toyota Winglet

Toyota is well aware that Japan is an aging country. Its old people are getting older, and its young people have seemingly forgotten how to make more young people. Last year, the country saw its lowest birth rate in recorded history. So the country needs two things: Easier mobility for older folks and the Japan Family Planning Association to hand out Marvin Gaye albums. The latter probably isn't going to happen anytime soon, but the easier mobility will. Toyota has introduced a solution called the Winglet, which is similar in concept to a Segway but much better executed. The Toyota Winglet comes in both full scooter with handles and an ankle-only version. Lean left, and the Toyota Winglet goes left. Lean forward, and it moves with rapidity. The handle bar is more of a place to put your hands than something that's actually needed. Toyota had us race around a track it set up, albeit with helmets on and with a guide to make sure we didn't smash its hugely expensive prototypes into walls. As you can see from my expression above, I highly recommend it. As a side benefit, it also weighs next to nothing and easily fits into a car, making it a viable solution that looks far cooler than any four-wheel mobility scooter.

 

Independent Walk Assist

So you have a bad knee or you're suffering from a stroke and learning how to walk again. You can either wear a brace that will prop you up and turn you into a young Forrest Gump, or you can take a little more control. Once again catering an older audience, the machine helps move your leg when your muscles can't. It's lightweight and bends with the person using it, allowing him or her to sit down comfortably. It also allows for a more natural walking pattern than what might ordinarily be allowed by a steel brace, and it's perhaps one of the smartest ideas we've seen to come out of medical technology in ages. Besides a pack with batteries and a somewhat bulky knee support, we see very few downsides to this one. We just wonder what went on in the heads of Toyota's robot engineers to make them think of this one and eventually compete against medical device companies. Kudos, Toyota.  

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