Among the concept cars waiting to be unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show that opens to the public on Oct. 31 is a one-size-fits-all Corolla from Tokyo Motor Corp.
The automaker’s new take on the Corolla is designed to accommodate three low-emission powertrains: all-electric vehicles, gas-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
“Whatever the power source, we will make it a cool vehicle,” Toyota President Koji Sato said while introducing the concept car during a media preview at Tokyo Big Sight on Oct. 29. “It is packed with innovations that make it possible.”
At the Japan Mobility Show, which was rebranded from the Tokyo Motor Show in 2023, automakers present concept cars as prototypes for a commercial model that they may bring to the market in the future.
Underlying the Corolla concept car is Toyota’s “multi-pathway strategy.”
While electric vehicle (EV) adoption is accelerating in China on the back of government policy support, EV sales momentum has slowed in the United States where hybrid vehicles are gaining popularity due to high fuel efficiency and competitive pricing.
The Trump administration has rolled back the EV incentives promoted under the previous Biden administration.
Meanwhile, demand for gasoline-powered vehicles remains strong in emerging markets, and EV uptake is expected to take time.
Sato described the Corolla, Toyota’s signature vehicle first launched in 1966, as “everyone’s car,” noting, “The world is vast, roads differ and so do energy circumstances.”
Toyota, which plans to establish its top-of-the-line Century as a standalone luxury brand, will also show off a concept car for its coupe-type model.
“We want to grow this into a brand that projects Japan’s pride to the world,” Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said.
Nissan Motor Co. will debut the fully redesigned Elgrand luxury minivan, its first complete overhaul in 16 years, while Honda Motor Co. will unveil a prototype of its new EV, the Zero Alpha.
The Japan Mobility Show, which kicks off on Oct. 30, will be open to the public from Oct. 31 through Nov. 9.
More than 500 companies and organizations, the most ever, are participating, including overseas automakers such as China’s BYD Co.
(This article was written by Kohei Kondo and Akihiro Nishiyama.)
