Toyota Motor Corporation will be playing a big role at the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games. Aside from planning to release a fleet of self-driving vehicles at the Olympic Village, the Japanese automaker will be developing a new product called the APM (Accessible People Mover), which is designed for use at the Summer Games.

As the name implies, the vehicle will be used to move people around the events ground and to different sporting venues. It is intended to be used by athletes, staff, as well as visitors with accessibility needs including elderly people, PWDs, pregnant women and families with small children. Aside from ferrying people to different locations, Toyota will also be developing a ‘relief’ model based on the people mover which will provide relief to injured athletes from various events.

The design of the APM looks similar to the shuttles you see inside shopping malls with the addition of a roof. Toyota says the APM will be fully electric with a range of 100 km, more than enough for going around the event's venue. To keep occupants safe, it will be limited to a top speed of 19 km/h. The APM will have three-row seating, carrying five passengers and one driver with passengers being able to ingress and egress from either side. Wheelchair ramps and anchor plates allow easy access for wheelchair-bound passengers.

Meanwhile, the ‘Relief’ APM will use the same basis as the people mover. However, in place of a second and third row of seats, the space has been utilized to fit a stretcher and two relief staff workers adjacent to the stretcher.

There is no word as to what will happen in the APMs after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Hopefully, we’ll get to see these vehicles being used outside of the Olympic Village like in shopping malls.