It would have been reasonable to expect the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show to be fairly gloomy, given the problems facing the Japanese automotive industry. But, adhering to the old showbiz maxim of ‘the show must go on’, the mood was upbeat – outwardly, at least.
The show has a new home at Tokyo Big Sight, much closer to the centre of the city than the old Makuhari complex and with better amenities, but with a labyrinth of corridors and stairs between the two main blocks which house the exhibits. And the Europeans were back in force after sitting out the 2009 event in the aftermath of the global banking collapse.
Renault’s Twizy four-wheeled electric scooter seems to have got several people in a tizzy, judging by the number of look-alikes.
Carlos Ghosn, the Chief Executive of Renault–Nissan, did not duck the problems the Japanese automotive industry is facing at a press forum, however. If the yen stayed at its current ‘unrealistic’ level, he said, Nissan would have to consider shifting some production for export markets to Thailand, India or Mexico to maintain profitability. As Nissan exports 60% of the cars it makes in Japan, that would put many jobs at risk. There was, however, praise for the way the country and its industries had reacted in the aftermath of the tsunami.
On the press days, new technologies and concept cars seemed to outnumber things people will actually be able to buy, although they usually all disappear back to the design studios and research and development centres by the time the public is allowed into the show. Mostly, this concerned battery electric cars and hybrids, with just one new hydrogen fuel-cell car, Toyota‘s FCV-R concept. Hydrogen cars are being developed behind the scenes, however, and three Japanese OEMs – Honda, Nissan and Toyota – are among the seven globally which have pledged to begin marketing them in small numbers by 2015, so maybe the 43rd Tokyo Show in 2013 will reveal more.
One recurring theme was the so-called ‘smart house’ – a home with rooftop solar panels and a two-way link between an electric car, the public grid and the household electrical system.
Renault’s Twizy four-wheeled electric scooter seems to have got several people in a tizzy, judging by the number of look-alikes. Nissan had a version of its French partner’s creation, called the Mobility Concept, and would like to put it into production, but Andy Palmer, Executive Vice-President, Global Product Planning, says there are obstacles because Japan does not have the equivalent of the quadricycle regulations which allow it to be sold in Europe without passing crash tests. That did not stop Suzuki (Q-Concept), Daihatsu (Pico) and Honda (Micro Commuter Concept) from showing similar models.
One recurring theme was the so-called ‘smart house’ – a home with rooftop solar panels and a two-way link between an electric car, the public grid and the household electrical system. The solar panels would provide the electricity to charge the car, but this could be fed back into the home whenever necessary. Nissan reckons that in an emergency, a compact electric car like the Leaf could power the average home for two days. It all sounds a bit utopian, but in a country which has been suffering power interruptions since 11 March, and still is, it’s easy to understand the desire to do something.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Automotive World Ltd.
Roger Stansfield is a freelance automotive industry journalist based in London. He covers all aspects of the automotive industry, with a particular focus on future technology.
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