Japan Mobility Show Highlights Future Forms of Mobility
Tokyo, Oct. 24 (Jiji Press)--The Japan Mobility Show, formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show, is set to open Thursday, with the revamped event featuring futuristic forms of mobility in addition to conventional vehicles.
The biennial trade fair, co-hosted by the country's auto industry groups with the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association acting as the main organizer, will be held after the 2021 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2023 show under the new name will run through Nov. 5 at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center in the capital's Koto Ward, boasting some 475 participating companies and groups, the most ever and more than double that of the previous 2019 motor show. The surge reflects the fact that many startups and companies from outside the auto industry have come to join.
The number of foreign automakers, however, fell to three from five in terms of brand name, indicating that the Tokyo show's presence in the global vehicle industry keeps declining.
Of the total participants, 177 are taking part in the Tokyo Future Tour section, which comprises four areas showcasing mobility technologies to help people get over difficult situations, ease their physical burdens or have more fun.
One area features a special collaboration with "Godzilla -1.0," a movie to be released in Japan next month. In the area, vehicles, such as a crawler debris remover, a flying car and a self-driving stretcher, are coping with the aftermath of devastation caused by Godzilla, which symbolizes natural disasters hitting the country.
An unusual vehicle walking on four legs can be seen in one of the areas.
There are also other programs, including the Startup Future Factory to provide opportunities for new businesses to find partners from established companies.
Major automakers will highlight electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies.
Toyota Motor Corp. will unveil portions of designs for the FT-3e and FT-Se concept EVs and exhibiting the Kayoibako EV concept, while Nissan Motor Co. will showcase four new EV concepts--the Hyper Urban, the Hyper Adventure, the Hyper Tourer and the Hyper Punk.
Honda Motor Co. is holding the world premiere of the Honda CI-MEV, a four-wheeled two-seater experimental vehicle equipped with the automaker's original "cooperative intelligence" and self-driving technology.
From abroad, Chinese EV giant BYD Co. is making its Japanese show debut, displaying such models as its Yangwang U8 SUV and the Denza D9 minivan, developed jointly with German automaker Mercedes-Benz AG, which will also take part in the show.
Germany's BMW AG will hold its world premiere of the BMW iX2, an EV addition to the X2 SUV lineup.
On top of the standard offerings, the mobility show is incorporating new attractions in a bid to woo general visitors. The hydrogen-powered H2 Energy Festival will take place from Saturday to Nov. 5, featuring popular musicians, comedians and content creators on the TikTok social media platform.
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