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.
' \' ?8 i2 `5 `0 D 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.
1 D4 |) `5 M6 H# C2 b" ]! V 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., a) y. f# g0 a
The railway firm is already developing several prototypes of road-rail vehicles and has begun test drives.. `7 B5 W, |8 u! B8 b5 T9 \! D
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.
; A& v9 [; _$ k$ l& v& S" d; o 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.3 m) k1 t$ j: u+ \, n8 A/ E
"Our contribution is expected to be another step toward more practical use of the dual mode vehicle," a Hino spokesman said.
* y$ H. l: ?9 j% c: ? 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
