The is a

hybrid electric A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a type of hybrid vehicle that combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) system with an electric propulsion system (hybrid vehicle drivetrain). The presence of the electric powertrain is intended ...

taxicab A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

built to the universal taxi design specifications mandated by the

Japanese government The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary sta ...

. Exhibited as the JPN Taxi Concept at the 43rd

Tokyo Motor Show The is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recognized international show ...

in 2013, it has been produced by

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

since 2017, mainly for the Japanese and Hong Kong markets. Marketed as a successor to the

Comfort Comfort (or being comfortable'')'' is a sense of physical or psychological ease, often characterized as a lack of hardship. Persons who are lacking in comfort are uncomfortable, or experiencing discomfort. A degree of psychological comfort ...

and the Crown Sedan, it is currently being manufactured by

Toyota Motor East Japan Toyota Motor East Japan is a manufacturing subsidiary of the Toyota group based in Japan. It was founded in July 2012 by the merger of Central Motors, Kanto Auto Works and Toyota Motors Tohoku. History Following the Tōhoku earthquake, the Pr ...

under the supervision of chief engineer Hiroshi Kayukawa.

Design

The vehicle was based around an emissions and

accessibility Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

mandate by the

through consultation from carmakers, taxi companies and advocates for the disabled in 2012 to meet its "universal design" goals for the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

. The

powertrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...

is based on the hybrid system " THS II" and newly adopted "LPG hybrid system" compatible with LPG fuel. The engine uses 1.5L 1NZ-FXP, and an electric

water pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they ...

that does not require auxiliary belt maintenance. The battery is

nickel hydride Nickel hydride is either an inorganic compound of the formula NiH''x'' or any of a variety of coordination complexes. Binary nickel hydrides and related materials "The existence of definite hydrides of nickel and platinum is in doubt". This obser ...

. In order to achieve a flat floor, the battery is thin in design and placed under the floor, and the vehicles exterior dimensions are in compliance with the Japanese Government's dimension regulations that allow tax savings for commercial use. The rear passenger door is an electrical slide door and it is possible to get on and off in a

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries (paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebral p ...

. The rear seats also fold up, and a ramp folds out, to accommodate wheelchair passengers. The passenger door on the driver's seat side is hinged so oncoming traffic can more easily identify when it is opened and a passenger may step out. While the vehicle shares a platform and was developed in conjunction with the

Toyota Sienta The is a mini MPV with sliding doors manufactured by Toyota. It was introduced in September 2003, based on the Vitz/ Yaris subcompact car, and is available at all Toyota dealerships in Japan. The Sienta is sold in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore ...

, the two vehicle share almost no elements except the floor pan to allow for the fitment of specialized taxi operation equipment and instruments. The rear cargo area is spacious enough to hold two large suitcases or four golf bags, while the passenger compartment offers nine inches of headroom due to its high roof. The vehicle comes equipped with built-in soundproofing and air purification, while the high-end "Takumi" model includes a ceiling-mounted air circulator and a heating system for the rear seats. Built in part to evoke the same sense of recognition as the iconic London

black cab A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab, black cab, hack or London taxi) is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise. A symbol of London and Britain, the black taxi is a common s ...

, it is available from Toyota in 3 colors, Black, White, and a deep

Indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...

Toyota is calling Koiai (深藍).

Safety

The JPN Taxi is equipped with 6 SRS (driver, passenger, front side & curtain) airbags as standard as well as Toyota Safety Sense anti-collision sensors. The JPN Taxi also received a 5-star safety rating by the Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP).

Production and sales

From 2017 to 2020, the JPN Taxi were assembled by

at its Higashi-Fuji plant (

Susono, Shizuoka 270px, Susono with Mount Fuji is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 51,216 in 21,858 households, and a population density of 370 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Mot ...

). In December 2020, Toyota Motor East Japan moved the car production to its Miyagi plant (

Ōhira, Miyagi 270px, Ōhira Village Office 270px, Site of Ōhira Castle is a village located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the village had an estimated population of 5,918, and a population density of 98 persons per km2 in 2108 households. The total area of ...

). , the JPN Taxi accounted for around 10% of Tokyo taxis, while the traditional Toyota Comfort model accounted for around 70%. By mid-2020 (as the

in Tokyo were postponed to mid-2021 due to the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

), Toyota expects the JPN Taxi to account for about one-third of the Tokyo fleet. Generous government subsidies help offset the cost of upgrading livery fleets and Tokyo taxi company Hinomaru Kotsu had replaced two thirds of its 620 cars as of September 2019. If consumer sales of the

are any indication, the platform seems to be to be popular as the 3rd best selling vehicle in Japan in 2019. It debuted in Hong Kong in July 2018, sold as the ''Toyota Comfort Hybrid'' (Chinese: 豐田金豐混能的士). It was officially launched in January 2019. The car is distributed by Crown Motors. As of May 2019, 17 Comfort Hybrids are in service and are due to replace the Crown LPG taxis used in Hong Kong. Four of the taxis were brought to Hong Kong initially for research and field testing before they were adopted into service. Traditional London black cab maker Geely has attempted to break into the Japanese market with its larger and more expensive

LEVC TX The LEVC TX (previously known as the TX5) is a purpose-built hackney carriage manufactured by the British commercial vehicle maker London EV Company (LEVC), a subsidiary of the Chinese auto-maker Geely. It is the latest in a succession of purpo ...

, but it seems unlikely to gain a foothold as it exceeds the Japanese size classifications to gain the tax advantages Japanese livery companies enjoy with the JPN Taxi. Alternatively, while JPN Taxi doesn't meet the passenger capacity or turning radius

required In product development and process optimization, a requirement is a singular documented physical or functional need that a particular design, product or process aims to satisfy. It is commonly used in a formal sense in engineering design, incl ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, it provides favorable emissions and

options at a lower cost that drivers outside of London might appreciate. No word yet on if Toyota is planning a

left hand drive Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes referred to ...

model for other regions also implementing emissions and accessibility standards for its taxi fleets.

Gallery

References

External links