Press release -
Yamaha Motor Begins Evaluation Trial of Green Slow Mobility Rental Cars on Teshima Island - Contributing to Easier Travel around the “Setouchi Triennale 2019 Fall Expansions” Host Area -
IWATA, September 13, 2019 - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Tokyo:7272) announced today that it will begin an evaluation trial of rental car operations using Green Slow Mobility (GSM)* in partnership with Mitsui & Co. and local rental car business KarenSTYLE. To be run during the “Setouchi Triennale 2019 Fall Expansions” held on Teshima Island (Tonoshō-chō, Kagawa-ken, Japan) from September 28, this evaluation trial aims to ascertain the acceptability on Teshima Island of rental car operations using GSM.
Featuring many art installations and works such as the Teshima Art Museum, and offering magnificent, sweeping views of the Seto Inland Sea from its lookout points, Teshima Island is a popular tourist destination. Despite its modest population of around 800 people, visitor numbers to Teshima Island have grown rapidly in recent years to an annual level of approximately 200,000 people, reaching approximately 300,000 when the Setouchi Triennale is held once every three years. However, many of the routes around the island and up to the scenic lookout point at the summit of Mount Danyama are hilly, and the lack of transport for visitors to easily access popular tourist spots has become an issue. The GSM rental cars used in this trial are anticipated to address this problem.
Yamaha Motor has been engaged in providing enjoyable mobility and addressing social issues in the unique style of Yamaha through its electric small and low speed PPMs (Public Personal Mobility: land cars), electric motorcycles, and electrically power assisted bicycles. Yamaha Motor is also assisting with initiatives to address local issues on Teshima Island, such as supplying electrically power assisted bicycles (PAS) and E-Vino electric scooters as rental options.
*Green Slow Mobility (GSM):
Electric mobility with a capacity of at least four occupants which can travel on public roads at speeds of up to 20 km/h. Aiming to provide transport options which are highly convenient for tourists and to help ensure that the elderly have a means of transport available to them, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of the Environment are promoting the spread of environmentally-friendly Green Slow Mobility, and are also supporting trial projects which tackle local transport issues.
■ Evaluation trial overview
| Trial location: | Teshima Island (Tonoshō-chō, Shōzu-gun, Kagawa-ken, Japan) |
| Trial period: |
Period of the Setouchi Triennale 2019 (September 28-November 4, 2019)
and approximately one month afterward |
| Trial vehicle: |
AR-04 public road specification (Public Personal Mobility vehicle based on golf cars with a riding capacity of four occupants) |
| No. of vehicles: | Three |
| Trial aim: | Ascertaining the acceptability of rental operations using GSM vehicles |
Roles in trial:
| - Yamaha Motor: | Providing vehicles, establishing maintenance/repair structure, etc. |
| - KarenSTYLE: | Daily rental car operations |
| - Mitsui & Co.: | Rental car business operational support |
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