Toyota will begin testing a newly developed hybrid boat (leisure craft) in the Tokyo region next summer, with the total feasibility study period being from July 2018 until March 2021.
The trial of the new 28-foot hybrid boat — which has been dubbed “PONAM-28V” — will be performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Toyota will be providing the boats free to use for the trial — the intent apparently just being to see how the model performs.
The new PONAM-28V hybrid boat features a 3-liter internal combustion engine (ICE) alongside a 36 kW electric motor paired with an 11 kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery pack. The ICE provides 256 horsepower, while the electric motor provides 48 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.
“In addition to its use for the maintenance of piers and other port facilities at the Port of Tokyo, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government will use the PONAM-28V for visits to Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues along the Tokyo Bay waterfront by the relevant parties. In addition, the PONAM-28V will also be utilized for canal tours at the Port of Tokyo for Tokyo residents and visitors,” Green Car Congress reports.
“By adopting the parallel hybrid system in a leisure craft, Toyota is striving to assure customers of the cruising range by utilizing the two types of power generators — the engine and electric motor. Furthermore, the EV (Electric Vehicle) mode cruising realizes low emissions, high fuel efficiency, and low noise levels.”
Considering that boat emissions are more or less unregulated in most markets, they are low-hanging fruit as far as potential reductions go, so it’s good to see another company pursuing the development of the technology.
It’s noteworthy also that doing away with the use of a noisy engine would probably make the use of such vehicles much more “enjoyable” (though, also more dangerous to some wildlife).
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