OREANDA-NEWS. With the help of BASF’s versatile plastic materials, the new three-wheeled concept vehicle 05GEN from Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd (“Yamaha”) makes short journeys both comfortable and convenient. This new generation electric-assist vehicle is on display at the Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture, Imabari, Omishima Island in Japan from July 14, 2016, until June 15, 2017.

In modern vehicles, tires are key to a comfortable and relaxing ride. BASF’s Infinergy®, the world’s first expanded thermoplastic polyurethane, and Elastollan®, a thermoplastic polyurethane, are used in the 05GEN’s tires to enhance the overall riding experience. The characteristic cellular structure of Infinergy contributes to its striking design. Additionally, Elastollan makes possible a variety of textures and colors on the surface of the tires.

Andy Postlethwaite, Senior Vice President, Performance Materials Asia Pacific said, “Yamaha’s new-generation vehicle aims to improve the riding experience and quality for travelers moving short distances. This resonates with us well because at designfabrik®, we help translate ideas into daily products that improve people’s quality of life. By offering our consulting services on color, material, and finish development, we helped Yamaha realize their design concept of ‘Refined Dynamism’.”

designfabrik Tokyo supports industrial designers and engineers in turning creative ideas into actual products at every stage of product development by offering expert advice on potential application of various materials.

About Yamaha Motor’s new generation design concept models
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. has put their support behind the 'island development' of Mr. Toyo Ito, an architect, on the island of Omishima (Imabari, Ehime Prefecture), to design a concept model of a new generation minimal assist mobility vehicle intended to connect people with people and people with places, moving slowly across short distances within the scope of a person's living sphere. This concept flies in the face of many mobility vehicle designs up to now which have focused on more efficiently moving people with speed and across greater distances.