The Tokyo Motor Show, one of the world’s top five automobile exhibitions, was reborn after four years, changing its name to the ‘Japan Mobility Show’. The exhibition, which was suspended for three years following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) at the end of 2019, opened on the 25th with a press preview at Tokyo Big Sight.
Led by Toyota, the world’s largest automobile company, Japanese automobile companies such as Honda and Nissan came together to showcase a variety of electric vehicles. China’s BYD, which surpassed Tesla of the United States and became the world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer last year, also appeared for the first time, making Japanese companies nervous. Japanese companies released electric vehicle concept models with no definite date for production, but BYD displayed products sold in the global market, making the gap between the two countries’ electric vehicles realistic.
View largerPBV ‘Kayoi Baco’ introduced by Toyota at the ‘Japan Mobility Show 2023’. Tokyo = Japanese automakers, which have been targeting the global market with hybrid vehicles since the late 1990s, have introduced a large number of new electric vehicle models as if they had made a promise. The company’s determination to break away from its position as a latecomer in the global electric vehicle competition was evident.
Toyota, which launched its first electric car last year, declared its intention to become an electric car company by releasing several electric car concept models at once. The company unveiled ‘Kayoi Baco’, a purpose-built vehicle (PBV) that can freely utilize the interior space, ‘IMV 0’, a truck in which customers participate in the production, and ‘FT-3e’, a sports utility vehicle (SUV). Lexus first introduced the ‘LF-ZC’, scheduled for production in 2026, which can run 1,000 km with a 100% charge in 30 minutes.
Toyota Motor Company President Koji Sato, who was the first of the participating companies to introduce the car, said, “Creating the car you want and your own is the future of next-generation electric vehicles and software-driven vehicles (SDVs),” and added, “We will continue to provide a variety of options.” “This is the strategy Toyota is aiming for,” he said.
View largerToyota’s truck concept model ‘IMV 0’. Tokyo = 
View largerHonda’s two-seater level 4 self-driving electric vehicle ‘CI-MEV’. Tokyo = 
View larger‘Spasia Custom’, Suzuki’s light vehicle electric concept model. Tokyo = Honda, the second largest automobile company in Japan, launched a driverless electric taxi jointly developed with General Motors (GM) of the United States. Honda President Toshihiro Mibe expressed confidence, saying, “You can spend such a comfortable time that you forget you are on the move.” Nissan launched the ‘Hyper Tourer’ electric minivan equipped with an all-solid-state battery, and Suzuki introduced the eVX, a small electric vehicle to be sold in India and Europe.
Although the electric vehicles prepared were nearly comprehensive, the limitations of Japanese electric vehicles were also revealed. Most electric vehicles released by companies such as Toyota and Honda were concept models with a strong experimental nature.
Confidence has been expressed that the all-solid-state battery, which is a ‘dream battery’ that significantly reduces charging time and increases driving range, will lead the global market when fully commercialized, but there is concern that the reorganization of the automobile (electric vehicle) market may already be over before that dream is realized. will be. The Nippon Keizai Shimbun pointed out, “Japanese electric vehicles will be introduced to the global market in earnest in 2025, but the global market competitive landscape is likely to change in the meantime.”
View largerChina’s BYD’s luxury electric SUV ‘U8’. Tokyo = 
View larger‘EQG’, a mid-sized electric SUV introduced by Mercedes-Benz of Germany. It is an electrified model of the Mercedes G-Class (G-Wagen). Tokyo = BYD unveiled the U8, a large SUV unveiled last month to compete with the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen and Land Rover Range Rover, and also unveiled the ‘Sil’, an electric vehicle with a range of 555km that will be released in Japan next year. Liu Xueliang, President of BYD Japan, asserted, “The new future of electric vehicles in Japan begins here.”
In Korea, Hyundai Mobis participated and attempted to secure orders by offering core components and software used in the electric vehicle IONIQ 5 to local companies.
Tokyo =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.