TOYOTA CONNECT “I
t’s my goal to transition Toyota from an automobile company to a mobility company – and in my mind, the possibilities of what
we can build are endless,” says the organisation’s President, Akio Toyoda. “I’m determined to create new ways of moving and connecting our customers across the country, across town, or just across the room. Technology’s changing quickly in our industry and the race is on. Our competitors no longer just make cars. Companies like Google, Apple and even Facebook are what I think about at night because, after all, we didn’t start out by making cars either!”
Electric vehicles will be a key
Driven by the vision to create a platform that will be the backbone or mobility as a service in all aspects of life by leveraging the power of big data, Toyota partnered with Microsoft two years ago to create stand-alone American company Toyota Connected. “We want the car to be a seamless extension of your phone and computer, a kind of personal assistant on wheels, able to anticipate your needs through predictive artificial intelligence,” says Toyoda.
component of the company’s transition, as Toyota creates a world in which mobility as a service is powered through autonomous technology. Although less than 1% of all vehicles sold in the USA today are battery electric, by 2025, every model in the Lexus and Toyota line-up will either be electric or will have an electrified option. In this regard, we’re developing new solid-state battery technology that will make electric vehicles smaller, lighter and much more affordable. “It’s been said that data is the new
gold and that software is the key, but I’d argue that we’re moving from software to the platform as the thing we’re all after,” says Toyoda. “It’s the platform that will be the backbone for mobility as a service for autonomy, for car-sharing and for any number of services we want to make possible.”
THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY
ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED AS A MANUFACTURER OF WEAVING LOOMS, TOYOTA HAS TRANSFORMED INTO ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE CARMAKERS IN THE WORLD. NOW WE’RE EXPANDING OUR MISSION TO AN EXCITING FUTURE AS A MOBILITY COMPANY
26
WORDS: KIBO NGOWI. IMAGES:
TOYOTA.CO.UK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101
