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Japan's Automakers Showcase New Electric Vehicles at Tokyo Show to Compete with Global Rivals

Toyota, Mazda, and Honda Unveil Innovative Electric Vehicles to Challenge Tesla and BYD, Aiming for Increased Market Share Both Domestically and Globally

Overview

  • The Tokyo Mobility Show was dominated by Japanese automakers' electric vehicle (EV) offerings, aimed at catching up with global competitors like Tesla and China's BYD.
  • Toyota is seeking to overcome its lag in EV development and has ambitious targets to sell 1.5 million EVs per year by 2026 and 3.5 million by 2030.
  • Toyota's Lexus LF-ZC, running on lithium-ion batteries, will be a key product, set to debut in 2026, to test the company's ability to compete in the growing EV market.
  • Battery swapping, a method already used by Uber drivers in San Francisco, was introduced in Japan by startup Ample in partnership with Mitsubishi Fuso; this service quickly exchanges depleted batteries for fully-charged ones at designated centers.
  • Despite a strong shift towards EVs, Japanese consumers' strong loyalty to home brands could mean that many will wait for more domestic EV options to become available before purchasing.