Number of Customers. We had Kousuke Goto and his mother Hisayo test drive a.
Ractis Welcab1 wheelchair-adapted model (Type II). The Ractis uses a ramp to ...
Special Story
Providing the Freedom of Mobility to a Greater Number of Customers “Providing the freedom of mobility in comfort to a greater number of customers” — Welcab vehicles are one means by which Toyota strives to carry out this philosophy. We expect that demand for such vehicles will increase with the aging of Japan’s society. We examine the past, present, and future prospects of Welcab vehicles. We had Kousuke Goto and his mother Hisayo test drive a Ractis Welcab1 wheelchair-adapted model (Type II). The Ractis uses a ramp to enable boarding and exiting while remaining in a wheelchair. This means that “Even when it’s raining, I can put Kousuke in the vehicle while holding an umbrella,” says Hisayo. Kousuke sits in an intermediate row between the front passenger seat position and the second row of seats. Toyota was the first automaker in Japan to develop a vehicle that can accommodate a wheelchair in this position. “I can see Kousuke’s face, so I can drive with peace of mind,” explains Hisayo. “Also, if he were sitting in the front passenger seat, he might play with the controls, but in the intermediate seat position he can’t reach them, although I can still reach him, so it is much safer.” Prior to the appearance of this type of wheelchair placement, in many instances, physically disabled children rode in the front passenger seat. Parents want their children within reaching distance in case the child’s head falls forward or the child has a seizure. At the same time, however, when children are in the front passenger seat they can touch the controls, and shifting the child from a wheelchair to the seat is quite difficult. Toyota developed the Ractis Welcab wheelchair-adapted model (Type II) to address these issues.
According to population statistics, the number of people aged 14 years and younger and those aged 65 years and older reversed positions in 1997. As a result of a declining birth rate and increased longevity, it is expected that in 2015 one quarter of the population will be 65 or older. In addition, 2.5 million people nationwide are currently bed-ridden, and 86% of their caregivers are female. Looking at the ages of the caregivers, 49% are 60 years or older. This means that as the Japanese society ages, more and more seniors will be caring for other seniors. As the number of female and senior caregivers increase, demand for specially equipped vehicles will grow. 2. Barrier-free access: The elimination of obstacles to the enjoyment of normal lifestyles by disabled people 3. Normalization: The belief that socially disadvantaged persons should be provided with an educational, employment, and living environment as close to that of other members of society as possible 4. Universal design: Design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design
Trend in Factors Concerning Specially Equipped Vehicles (Million people)
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A low birth rate and increased longevity have resulted in a society aging at a pace unseen anywhere else in the world.
Productive population (aged 15 to 64)
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1. Welcab is the name for Toyota’s specially equipped vehicles with factory-installed features for disabled people. The name Welcab was created by combining “welfare” and “cabin.”
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Kousuke Goto and his mother Hisayo
Seniors (aged 65 or older)
Juvenile population (aged 0 to 14)
1/4 of total population are seniors
20 ’97
Rising Demand with the Rapid Aging of Society Toyota began development of Welcab vehicles in the mid1960s with the manufacture of vehicles installed with devices that facilitate driving by disabled people themselves and modification of vehicles that can be driven with a wheelchair on board. Toyota displayed a specially equipped vehicle based on the Hiace at the 21st Tokyo Motor Show in 1975. During the International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981, Toyota began sales of both these types of vehicles under the names Friendmatic and Handicab. Toyota has developed vehicles specially equipped for disabled people based on its philosophy of “providing the freedom of mobility in comfort to a greater number of customers.” The benefits of easy mobility using automobiles have even greater significance for seniors and disabled people than the young and able. It is the duty of automobile manufacturers to enable as many people as possible to enjoy these benefits. In addition, there are calls within society to allow disadvantaged persons such as seniors and disabled people to enjoy unhindered lifestyles. The spread of concepts such as “barrier-free access,”2 “normalization,”3 and “universal design”4 is one of the results of such societal demands. There is a strong likelihood that these demands will increase even further in the future as Japan develops into an aging society unprecedented anywhere else in the world. 80
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In 2015, one in four people will be 65 or older
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Incorporating Universal Design in Housing
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In Focus
The Toyota Dream House PAPI developed by Toyota’s Housing business features intelligent storage that facilitates the placement and removal of heavy items, an elevator with a two-way entrance that facilitates efficient wheelchair routing, exterior doors with electronic authentication that identifies people in wheelchairs to open the door wider and at a slower speed than for ablebodied persons, and other unique universal designs that allow all family members to live safely and comfortably. Front door that identifies people in wheelchairs
Can accommodate a wheelchair
Friendmatic vehicles
Can remain in wheelchair
Special vehicles for Friendmatic installation Wheelchair adapted model (Fully automatic) Rotating and Sliding Passenger Seat model
Shift to seat
No wheelchair use
Seat rotates and slides
Seat rotates and moves vertically
Rotating and Sliding Rear Seat model Lift-up Front Passenger Seat model
Demand for specially equipped vehicles is clearly increasing. In FY1995 sales of such vehicles were 1,700 units; in FY2005 this figure had increased to 19,140 units as a result of an increasingly aged society and the rapidly growing number of physically disabled people taking a more active role in society. In addition to use by hospitals and care facilities, use by individuals is showing rapid growth. Welcab vehicles continue to enjoy a 60% to 70% market share of specially equipped compact vehicles. In addition, use of Toyota’s Lift-up Seats by other manufacturers of vehicles for disabled people is not uncommon due to the seats’ high performance, ease of use, and cost. Lift-up Seat Sales of Welcab Vehicles and units manufactured by the Market Share in the Specially Toyota seat manufacturer, Equipped Compact Car Market Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd., (Thousand vehicles per year) (%) account for 80% of the total 20 100 market share. Units sold Share
80 60
10
Share
Caregiver assisted type
Self-operated type
Projected Increases in Demand
Units sold
Welcab
66 variations in 33 vehicle series in the Welcab lineup. Among compact vehicles, of 70 different vehicle series, 33 are available with Welcab specifications (as of April 2006).
Special Story
Welcab Types
Ractis Welcab wheelchair-adapted model (Ramp Type)
Economic Aspects
Development of specially equipped vehicles began in the mid-1970s, and with subsequent development the variations in vehicles increased. Welcab vehicles are broadly divided into self-operated models and caregiver assisted models. Vehicles for selfoperation are those with an accelerator and brake pedal that can be operated by hand, enabling people without use of their legs to drive with only their hands. These Toyota vehicles are referred to as Welcab Friendmatic Seat models. Caregiver assisted models are designed to facilitate boarding and exiting and other care-related activities. There are many variations, including models that can accommodate a wheelchair; models with seats that can rotate and slide to facilitate shifting to or from a wheelchair; and seats that rotate, slide, and move up and down, in both the passenger seat and rear seat. There are numerous variations because the desired functions vary among individual users and caregivers. There are currently
Social Aspects
Welcab Variations
Environmental Aspects
The functions that users want in specially equipped vehicles are not limited to those that facilitate care, but also include those that are based on the fundamental care principle of enabling people to do everything they can on their own. It is important to facilitate use not only from the care recipient perspective, but also to make use safe and easy from the perspective of the caregiver. This will reduce the burden on caregivers while making it easier for people to request assistance. In searching for new functions that are desirable in specially equipped vehicles and are beneficial to both care recipients and caregivers, developers spoke repeatedly with disabled people and selected wheelchair users as developers. What is important is not just the information obtained through discussions and surveys, but determining actual needs. Shigeru Nakagawa, Project Manager of the Product Development Group, which developed the Ractis with the intermediate seat introduced at the beginning of this section, explains, “There are some customers who are unable to tell us what they would really like because they believe that it would simply be impossible to achieve. To take the Type II specifications as an example, people believed that it was not possible to create a vehicle in which a parent could reach a child from the driver’s seat and that could accommodate boarding while in a wheelchair. By analyzing parents’ day-to-day activities and how the vehicle is used, however, we determined that creating
a vehicle with an intermediate seat position would satisfy users. We will continue to undertake development of Welcab vehicles so that customers tell us ‘I was waiting for exactly this type of vehicle.’” As the father of a physically disabled daughter, Mr. Nakagawa develops Welcab vehicles from Shigeru Nakagawa, Project Manager, the perspective of someone Product Development Group who needs such a vehicle, resulting in the creation of a vehicle that meets actual needs. There is another anecdote concerning the efforts put into the development of the Ractis.
Vision and Structures
Working so Customers will Say, “I Was Waiting for this Kind of Vehicle”
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Side-access model 0 Side Lift-up Seat model
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Special Story
The initial design featured a lower rear end to make it more appealing to younger customers, but the design was changed to incorporate Welcab specifications and allow a wheelchair to be easily put in. Looking back at that time, Executive Chief Engineer Hideyuki Iwata of the Product Development Group explains, “As the result of numerous discussions at the office, this was the first time that we modified an original package to suit Welcab specifications.”
3) Toyota has expanded the scope from Japan to include other countries as well. For instance, the Sienna Welcab Lift-up Seat model has been available in North America for the past two years. Sales will be expanded to Europe, and plans call for worldwide sales of vehicles equipped with Side Lift-up Seats in the future.
Satisfying the Needs of More Customers There are four issues that must be addressed to enable Welcab vehicles to satisfy the needs of ever more customers. 1) Reducing costs is a major issue. Selling products at prices that customers find affordable will expand demand and help generate a virtuous cycle to further reduce costs. Until now completely built vehicles were transported to a different plant where the floors were modified and reassembly was performed for conversion to Welcab vehicles. The Ractis Welcab, however, is manufactured on the same production line as that of other base vehicles, greatly reducing production time and costs. 2) Opportunities to come in contact with Welcab vehicles must be increased. In addition to sales at the nine Toyota Heartful Plazas, starting in June 2006, the number of Welcab vehicles available at Toyota Rental/Lease dealers will be increased fivefold to 800 units. This will facilitate the use of Welcab vehicles by people who require them.
Sienna Welcab Lift-up Seat model
4) Expanding the use of self-operated models is also an important issue. There are many self-operated models in the U.S. and Europe, but they are still uncommon in Japan. One of Toyota’s strengths lies in the in-house development and production of vehicles. When developing a self-operated model, the design must be fully integrated, taking into consideration selfoperation starting with the chassis development and extending to making manually operated controls electronic. Toyota considers its ability for in-house development to be a tremendous advantage in the development of self-operated Welcab models.
Toyota Rental/Lease dealers website: http://rent.toyota.co.jp/contents/welcab_top.asp (Japanese only)
Toyota Heartful Plazas Serve as Welcab General Display Spaces for Vehicle Viewing, Driving, Testing, and Consultations The importance of being able to view, sit in, and test vehicles, as well as consult with expert sales staff is particularly significant in the case of Welcabs. Wheelchairs come in a wide variety of sizes, and it is necessary to test whether a particular wheelchair can be used in a particular vehicle. The necessary functions vary for customers who, for example, cannot bend their knees or who experience pain in their ankles. The nine Toyota Heartful Plazas established in Sapporo, Sendai, Chiba, Chiba Chuo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka are permanent Welcab display spaces that meet these needs. Each site has 10 to 20 vehicles on permanent display, and dedicated staff are on hand to consult on the right choice of vehicle for each customer and on customization. According to Chief Manager Tomotsugu Kawai of the Toyota Heartful Plaza Tokyo, “There are those customers who have already narrowed down the type of vehicle and functions that they want and those who haven’t. We explain the functions for about two hours and then have the customer test them. Functions have improved drastically over the past several years, and many customers are quite surprised. Most customers are satisfied, but there are also cases where the customer is unable to find a particular desired function or their wheelchair won’t fit, so I believe we have to expand the
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In Focus
product lineup even further.” One customer, who came all the way from Fukushima to the Heartful Plaza in Tokyo commented, “I was able to actually test the vehicle and make sure it suited me. It was a long trip, but I’m glad I made it.” Detailed information is also provided via the Internet. The “Welsearch” function allows customers to view the vehicles on display, enabling them to study the vehicle series they want even before coming to a Heartful Plaza.
Toyota Heartful Plaza Tokyo
Welsearch site: http://toyota.jp/welcab/search/ (Japanese only)
Heartful Plaza site: http://toyota.jp/heartful/ (Japanese only)
