October 28, 2011
Assisted-Mobility Vehicle Sales in Japan
for First Half of Fiscal 2011 (April-September)
Sales of assisted-mobility vehicles in Japan during the first half of fiscal 2011 (April through September) totalled 14,778 units, down 15.0% from the same period in the previous year. This result reflected the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake in March and other factors.
April-September Sales Data by Vehicle Category
1. Standard & Small-Size Vehicles—9,418 units (down 16.5% from first half of fiscal 2010))Sales of wheelchair-accessible models rose to account for over 50% of total sales in this category during the April-September period. In contrast, sales of models with revolving or elevator seats markedly declined, pulling down the overall total below that of the first half of fiscal 2010.
2. Mini-Vehicles—4,254 units (up 9.1% from first half of fiscal 2010)
With both wheelchair-accessible and revolving seat models in this category selling well during the first half of fiscal 2011, assisted-mobility mini-vehicle sales in this period topped 4,000 units, for the first time since the first half of 2006.
3. Buses—1,106 units (down 49.8% from first half of fiscal 2010)
The broad decline in sales in this category compared to the first half of fiscal 2010 was linked to the postponement of replacement vehicle purchases in the wake of both the multiple disaster on March 11 and the consequent plunge in tourism nationwide.
Notes:
- The figures provided here and in the accompanying charts are the combined totals of JAMA member manufacturers’ unit sales; they do not include vehicles customized post-purchase. (For example, although in the accompanying “by Category & Feature” chart the total first-half fiscal 2011 sales figure for vehicles equipped with drive-assist systems—including standard, small-size and mini-vehicles—is 443, total annual demand for vehicles so equipped is estimated at roughly 5,000.)
- The three assisted-mobility vehicle categories listed here have been established by JAMA on the basis of equipment standards, and therefore differ from the vehicle categories established under Japan’s Road Vehicle Act. The main differences are that “Standard & Small-Size Vehicles” includes standard and small passenger cars and van-type commercial vehicles, and that “Buses” includes minibuses.
- Note that “Other” in the accompanying chart includes stretcher-bearing vehicles, etc., but since 2007 no longer includes vehicles equipped with revolving/elevator seats or drive-assist systems. Those vehicles have been reclassified into the “Revolving/Elevator seats” and “Drive-assist system” subcategories, respectively.
