ART for Human Possibilities
Yamaha Motor is developing low-speed electric mobility solutions to address transportation challenges arising from Japan's aging population and urban migration. The adaptable platform is designed for various applications, including first- and last-mile transportation for residents and industrial use.
Today, low-speed electric vehicles dubbed “Green Slow Mobility (GSM)” are beginning to take to public roads all across Japan. The vehicles are part of a small-scale transportation service that utilise electric vehicles running on public roads at speeds under 20 km/h.
What served as a forerunner to this initiative was Yamaha Motor Powered Products Co., Ltd.,* a Yamaha Motor group company handling golf car and land car businesses, participating in a project led by the city of Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture to explore new modes of transportation within its jurisdiction. In 2014, a low-speed vehicle based on a Yamaha land car became the first of its kind in Japan to obtain a kei ultracompact vehicle license plate and began testing on public roads, shuttling resident seniors and tourists around the city.
Following this, the project moved to conducting real-world testing of an automated driving system using electromagnetic induction wires, and in these ways became a role model for other local governments facing similar issues.