Toray Industries, Inc., announced that the APURE Shuttle has won a Design Concept 2024 category prize in the Red Dot Design Award program (see note 1). The company, subsidiary Toray Industries Europe GmbH, Rhein-Main Verkehrsverbund, or RMV, (note 2), and neomind GmbH (note 3) developed this approach to revolutionizing public transport with innovative technology, sustainability and user oriented design.
Neomind developed the APURE design concept by fully leveraging the Toray Group’s advanced materials and drawing on information on the passenger needs and regulatory knowledge and standards that RMV amassed through its EASY (Electric Autonomous Shuttle for You) pilot project. The prize recognized the sustainable interior design featuring plant based and recycled materials and the practical layout balancing high capacity, safety, and comfort.
Toray will showcase a boardable mockup interior of APURE at its booth at InnoTrans 2024, the international trade fair for transport technology. This event at Messe Berlin is from Tuesday, September 24 through Friday, September 27.
The company will keep leveraging its core technologies of synthetic organic and polymer chemistry, biotechnology, and nanotechnology to innovate materials in keeping with its commitment to delivering new value and contributing to social progress.
Notes
- Design Zentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen in Essen, Germany, organizes this leading international design award program, which began in 1955. Panels of world-class experts judge entries in the Product Design, Brands & Communication Design, and Design Concept categories.
- The RMV, one of the biggest transport association in Germany, coordinates and organizes the regional public transportation with trains, buses and new forms of mobility such as On-Demand mobility in the Frankfurt Rhine-Main area.
- A design firm based in Munich, Germany.
Overview of InnoTrans 2024
- Dates: Tuesday, September 24, through Friday, September 27, 2024
- Location: Messe Berlin GmbH (Berlin Exhibition Grounds)
- Toray booth details:
- Exhibit location: Hall 1.1, Booth no. 575
- APURE mockup incorporating Toray materials with the following features
a. Eco-friendly:
- Ultrasuede (100% plant-based polyester)
- Ultrasuede nu (100% plant-based polyester)
- TORAYPEF polyolefin foam (partially incorporating plant-based raw materials)
- PICASUS IR nano-multilayer film
- Intermediate base material made from recycled TORAYCA carbon fiber
b. Comfort enhancing:
- Toraypearl PA6 high-performance spherical polymer particle
- Carbon fiber-reinforced resin
- RAYTELA plastic optical fiber
100% plant-based polyester in keeping with ISO 16620-1 3.1.5 biobased synthetic polymer content standard.
