Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Company, speaks at a information convention, the place he introduced Toyota’s plans to construct a prototype metropolis of the longer term on a 175-acre website on the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, throughout the 2020 CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 6, 2020. REUTERS/Steve Marcus
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp(7203.T) mentioned on Monday it plans to construct a prototype “metropolis of the longer term” on the base of Japan’s Mt. Fuji, powered by hydrogen gasoline cells and functioning as a laboratory for autonomous automobiles, “sensible properties,” synthetic intelligence and different applied sciences.
Toyota unveiled the plan at CES, the massive expertise business present. The event, to be constructed on the website of a closed manufacturing unit, will probably be referred to as “Woven Metropolis” – a reference to Toyota’s begin as a loom manufacturing firm – and can function a house to full-time residents and researchers.
Toyota didn’t disclose prices for the challenge.
Executives at many main automakers have talked about how cities of the longer term might be designed to chop climate-changing emissions from automobiles and buildings, cut back congestion and apply web expertise to on a regular basis life. However Toyota’s plan to construct a futuristic group on 175 acres (71 hectares)close to Mt. Fuji is a giant step past what rivals have proposed.
The proposal highlights not solely Toyota Chief Govt Akio Toyoda’s ambition, but additionally the monetary and political assets Toyota can carry to bear, particularly in its house nation.
Toyota expects 2,000 individuals will dwell on the metropolis initially, with building slated to start out subsequent yr. Toyoda referred to as the challenge “my private ‘subject of desires.’
“You understand should you construct it, they’ll come.”
Toyota mentioned it has commissioned Danish architect Bjarke Ingels to design the group. Ingels’ agency designed the two World Commerce Middle constructing in New York and Google’s places of work in Silicon Valley and London.
Toyota mentioned it’s open to partnerships with different corporations that wish to use the challenge as a testing floor for expertise.
Reporting by Jane Lanhee Lee and David Shepardson; Writing by Joe White; Enhancing by Dan Grebler
