Japan Mobility Show: Toyota, Nissan, Honda and others to showcase electric cars to prove credentials

The Japan Mobility Show, previously known as the Tokyo Motor Show, is set to commence this week. The event, which first took place in 1954, last occurred in 2019 and attracted 1. 3 million attendees. However, it was put on hold during the pandemic. This year, the organisers aim to draw in 1 million visitors. Prominent Japanese car manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are under pressure to demonstrate their commitment to carbon neutrality and revolutionising transportation. These companies have been criticised for their reluctance to phase out petrol-powered vehicles. However, they plan to display electric vehicle (EV) concepts at the show to signal their readiness to increase the prevalence of battery-powered cars on Japan's roads. In 2022, battery-electric vehicles made up a mere 1. 5% of new car sales in Japan, a figure that pales in comparison to other affluent countries. For instance, nearly one in five new cars sold in China were battery-electric, leading to China becoming the world's leading car exporter earlier this year. Toyota will exhibit a mock-up of its next-generation Li-ion batteries for electric vehicles at a media event preceding the Japan Mobility Show, which will run from October 26 to November 5. There are concerns that escalating energy and labour costs may hinder car manufacturing and sales in Japan. Masami Tanaka, director general of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association’s Next-Generation Mobility Division, emphasised the need for support for key industries to stimulate economic growth. Despite pioneering the use of petrol-electric hybrid power trains, Japan's leading carmakers believe the global transition to EVs will be a protracted and region-specific process. They have proposed various strategies to reduce emissions, a stance that has drawn criticism from environmental advocacy groups. Nearly 500 companies have registered for the show, but only three foreign car manufacturers will be present: China's EV frontrunner BYD, and Germany's Mercedes-Benz Group and BMW. The slow adoption of EVs in Japan extends to non-Japanese companies as well. Although Mercedes-Benz, BYD, and Hyundai Motor have introduced fully electric cars in Japan, initial sales have been sluggish. Bloomberg Intelligence senior auto analyst Tatsuo Yoshida suggests that the potential for Chinese brands like BYD to expand in Japan is limited. The mobility show, according to Yoshida, provides an excellent opportunity to gain insights into their business strategies. Toyota's luxury brand Lexus will unveil a series of battery-electric concept cars, aligning with the carmaker's electrification strategy announced earlier this year. Toyota-branded EV concepts will include a sleek SUV named FT-3e, and a sports car sharing major components named FT-Se. Nissan will present renderings of four EV concepts, while Honda and Subaru will each showcase electric sports car concepts. Suzuki Motor will debut a mini electric wagon. Although most Japanese carmakers have pledged to ramp up EV production and reduce their emissions, they have yet to produce high-volume models that can compete with BYD or Elon Musk's Tesla. Such vehicles are not expected to enter the market in earnest until 2025 at the earliest.