Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) - Toyota

IntelligentTransport System(ITS)Making Use of Information andTelecommunications Technology to Improvethe Traffic EnvironmentReducing EnvironmentalImpact by Promotion of ITSIt has been estimated that abouteleven percent of the fuel consumed byautomobiles in Japan is used in road congestion.Especially severe in big cities,road congestion reduces vehicles’ combustionefficiency. Therefore, it has beenidentified as one cause of rising CO2emissions.ITS 1 research is attempting to easeroad congestion by linking roads, vehiclesand people together through highlevelinformation and telecommunicationstechnology in order to achieve smoothtraffic flow.For example, VICS 2 , which providesdrivers with information about congestionand traffic restrictions through car navigationdevices so that they can select thebest route; popularization of ETC 3 , whichallows a car driving on a toll road to paythe toll instantaneously and pass throughthe tollgate without making a stop evenfor a moment; and proper traffic managementare included in activities for the promotionof ITS.It is estimated that through theseactivities, it will be possible to reduce CO2emissions by 4.03 million tons or more by2010 (according to a report submitted bythe Telecommunications Council of● Relationship between Passenger Car Traveling Speed and Volumeof Carbon Dioxide EmissionsCO2 emissions per vehicle(g-C/km)120107100Ministry of Post and Telecommunicationsin 1998).In addition, Vehicle, Road and TrafficIntelligence Society (VERTIS) estimatesthat popularization of ITS technology canreduce CO2 emissions by 1.45 milliontons. This is equivalent to 11.5% ofreduction target for Japan’s transportindustry.Toyota’s Initiatives in ITSToyota is making progress with itspositive efforts to develop ITS in fivemain areas: “transport,” providing systemsfor the shared use of EVCommuters (small electric vehicles) andefficient communal transport systems;“facilities,” including ETC and others;“logistics,” improving vehicle operationmanagement; “car multimedia,” providingvarious functions especially in car navigation;and “car intelligence,” aiming toprovide driving support through coordinationwith the advanced infrastructure.In particular, three of these areashave a deep connection with the environment,so progress in them is described inthe following.Transport■ Shared Use EV CommuterSystemToyota is developing the EVcommuter system called “Crayon”based on the shared use of smallelectric vehicle, “e-com.” In this system,the compact electric vehicles,which produce no exhaust emissionsand have little environmental impact,are based near railway stations andother convenient places, and memberscan use them in a cooperativefashion for short-range transit.Beginning in July 1999, Toyotaestablished 10 depots in Toyota Citywhere the headquarters are located, andbegan to operate with about 500 employeemembers and 50 e-com vehicles.Data on it are being gathered and evaluated.Furthermore, in October-November1999, Toyota also began an experimentin cooperation with Toyota City, establishinganother depot near the ToyotaCity Hall building as part of “ITS ModelExperiment in Toyota City.” Then, inJanuary-March 2000, Toyota providedboth vehicles and system support for theshared EV commuter system experimentin Tama New Town, Tokyo, under thedirection of the Association of ElectronicsTechnology for Automobile Traffic andDriving.80716040574843 41Shared-use EV commuter experiment’s “e-com”vehicles in Tama New Town, Tokyo20010 20 30Traveling speed40 50 60 km/h(2000 edition of “Environmental White Paper”)1. ITS: Intelligent Transport SystemThese systems manage road transportation by using sophisticated informationand communications technology. Use of such systems bringsabout smoother traffic flow and eased traffic congestion, which in turncuts CO2 emissions and also reduces accidents by promoting safe driving.2. VICS: Vehicle Information and Communication System3. ETC: Electronic Toll Collection System72

Intelligent Transport System (ITS)■ IMTS 1(Medium-range medium-capacitypublic transport system)IMTS is a new medium-range, medium-capacitypublic transport system thatcombines the advantages of both rail androad transport. The vehicles are basedon buses, but on dedicated systemsroad, they are driven in automated platoons,while on ordinary roads, they aredriven manually as a regular bus wouldbe. This system achieves flexible andefficient operation which can respond tofluctuations in demand for transportation.Newly developed low floor buseshave been adopted along with CNG(compressed natural gas) engines. Thisis a transport system that is developed tomeet the needs of both passengers andenvironmental protection.An experimental line was establishedat the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center inMarch 1999, and all types of evaluationsare being done to ready it for practicalapplications. A proposal has been madeto use this as the transport system for the2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture.Facilities■ ETC (non-stop automatedtoll collection system)ETC is an automated toll collectionsystem which uses electronic signals toidentify each car as it passes through thetollgate, with the toll either deductedfrom a prepaid card or debited from thedriver’s bank account.Introduction of ETC will eliminate thenecessity for each car to stop at the tollgates,improving the processing capacityof tollgates four times as much as thecurrent ones. As brief stops at the tollgatefor paying the toll is said to accountfor 35% of congestion on Japan’sexpressways, this is expected to easecongestion in the vicinity of tollgates andthus reduce exhaust emissions.Toyota is actively making efforts todevelop the ETC system in its entirety,from the devices located in each car tothe highway infrastructure and operationsystems. In September 1999, Toyotareceived orders for construction offacilities on the Tomei and Meishinexpressways and is participating inimplementation of practical applicationand popularization.There are the plans to introduce ETCtollgates at 900 locations nationwide by2002.Logistics■ TIME Series (Optimal VehicleOperation ManagementSystems for Catering toDifferent Industries andBusiness Operations)By developing and providing optimalvehicle operation management systemsfor different industries and business operations,Toyota aims to support efficientoperation and thus reduce fuel consumptionand decrease the emission amountsof CO2, NOx and others.Toyota developed “TIME-t” 2 toimprove the efficiency of taxi dispatchingand distribution management, and “TIMEd”3 for beverage companies to achieveefficient control of stock in automaticvending machines. In January 2000,“TIME-w” 4 was added as the pick up vehicledispatch management system for welfarefacilities. Toyota also has plans forcommercializing operating managementsystems for a broad range of other areas.IMTS undergoing a number of testsfor practical applicationsThe “TIME-w,” the pick up vehicle dispatchmanagement system1. IMTS: Intelligent Multi-mode Transit SystemAn advanced medium-range, medium-capacityNon-stop automated toll collection system2. TIME-t :Toyota Intelligent Mobility Enhancement for taxi3. TIME-d :Toyota Intelligent Mobility Enhancement for delivery4. TIME-w:Toyota Intelligent Mobility Enhancement for welfarePick up vehicle dispatch management system forwelfare facilities73