TOKYO - Tokyo's auto show is back for the first time in four years and newly rebranded for the electric vehicle era, in a marketing overhaul that may be more reflective of industry aspirations than Japanese automakers' lagging battery-powered lineup.
And unlike many of the Japanese companies, who will be displaying concept cars, the foreign automakers will all show battery EVs that are already in production or are going to be in production. The world's biggest automaker by sales has long advocated for a multi-pronged approach to reduce carbon emissions that includes other electrified and alternative energy options besides battery EVs.The company will show new models of its Century and Crown series, which it has previously unveiled as plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles.
Last year was the third consecutive year that new car sales stayed below 4 million, though they were also hit by fallout from a post-pandemic chip shortage that disrupted auto production and supply.