Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. and its truck-making affiliate have joined a project to develop an environmentally friendly vehicle capable of moving both on roads and railways, an official said Monday.
1 G0 o3 G$ v ?* k. M3 b Toyota and affiliate Hino Motors Ltd. will take part in the development of a new model of a road-rail vehicle originally created by railway operator JR Hokkaido, a Hino spokesman said., h' B* F- w3 n6 i2 m% ^2 U
The two auto companies are providing technology and materials to strengthen the front part of the "dual mode vehicle" so that it can carry up to 25 people.
0 @# g. w1 f+ v' \ The railway firm is already developing several prototypes of road-rail vehicles and has begun test drives.
' E1 ]/ H& I) z. Z# @ The operator, which operates railways in the nation's northern island of Hokkaido, has developed the vehicle as part of its effort to utilize railways now out of service due to a sharp decline in passengers in the region.# y2 |5 u# Y. H$ ]% b& M5 q
The vehicle has eight wheels -- four iron wheels for railways and four rubber tyres for roads -- and is powered by a diesel engine. It is said to burn only one fourth of the fuel of conventional diesel-powered cars.
! ^! S2 \! n/ |' F "Our contribution is expected to be another step toward more practical use of the dual mode vehicle," a Hino spokesman said.
+ s. l% n. F0 X; p The latest vehicle is expected to be completed by mid-June and will be displayed at a welcome event for this year's Group of Eight summit in Hokkaido in July for which climate change is high on the agenda. |
发表于 2012-8-14 11:29:10
