Case study on use of motors and motor controllers
Products adopted: AC motor IA180
/NEOS controller M type
With its highly efficient components, the Pecolo has earned excellent reviews from local drivers for its environmental friendliness and comfortable ride.
Prozza Corporation
Manager of Public Relation and Sales Planning and Procurement Division,
Manager, Mr. Ryo Teranishi
Introduction
In the Philippines, there are some four million three-wheeled taxis called tricycles that operate in the city streets. The air pollution caused by the taxis' exhaust gas has become a major social problem. The widespread adoption of electric three-wheeled taxis is imperative to solving the problem. Prozza Corporation is working to solve this problem by manufacturing and selling the Pecolo three-wheeled vehicle in the Philippines. Mr. Teranishi from Prozza's Public Relations Section shares the story of how Prozza ended up selecting Toyota Industries motors and motor controllers.
Reason for selection
The main reasons were the reliability that comes with being the world's No. 1 manufacturer of lift trucks, and the ease of use offered by having the products and parameter adjustment functions delivered as a set.
The motor and NEOS controller are really the heart of an electric vehicle. There were many reasons we selected Toyota Industries motors and motor controllers, but most of the reasons are related to "reliability" and "ease of use."
First, reliability. We designed our vehicles to match the road conditions in the Philippines and various driving conditions. Still, it was an unknown market in some ways and there were many things we were unsure of. When we were planning the vehicle, we had a hard time finding reliable components for three-wheeled vehicles. And we couldn't develop our own original components because of the cost and small production lot.
Just as we began looking harder for components to solve the challenge, we discovered motors and motor controllers from Toyota Industries Corporation. We knew that reliability was backed by Toyota Industries' No. 1 global share in the lift truck market. We felt that this reliability could stand up under even severe driving conditions.
In terms of ease of use, we needed to adjust the vehicle control in the development phase to meet the local market needs. The parameter setting function made it easy to adjust vehicle control on our own.
Another reason for the ease of use was that Toyota Industries developed both the motors and the motor controllers in-house. There was peace of mind in procuring the motor as a set with the NEOS controller, which was already adjusted to optimize the motor. That was another reason why our development process went so smoothly.
Results
Absolutely no problems with operation.
Local drivers love the Pecolo and sales are now being expanded to other areas of the Philippines.
Before we started mass production, we tested the T4 prototype on the streets to confirm quality. There were absolutely no problems with it. It was quiet and the drivers really liked it. This was the reaction we needed to feel confident in ramping up to mass production.
The drivers who have actually switched over to the Pecolo are a good reputation about it. The great reviews reflect positively, of course, on the components.
At first, we marketed the Pecolo just around our site in Cebu. Now, we've begun selling it on other Philippine islands beside Cebu, and we also expect to begin selling it soon in Laos and other countries as well as island areas outside the Philippines.
We've listened a lot to the feedback from drivers. Honestly, not all of them are choosing the Pecolo because they are environmentally conscious and want to reduce exhaust gas. But they are telling us that they can reduce running costs with the Pecolo, while enjoying a quiet, smooth ride that pleases their customers. In the end, the drivers are making more money. We are making it easy for drivers to contribute to solving environmental problems. It's great to hear that we can help communities this way.
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