What it will be? Future car-I saw, boarded, thought at the motor show, October 29, 17:41

Automobile driving, electrification, connected cars, etc. are said to be a revolutionary period once every 100 years. At the Tokyo Motor Show, held every two years until November 4, all the technologies that look ahead were gathered. Although the Tokyo Motor Show has changed with the entry of other industries, it is still the car that matters! How are automakers looking at “next-generation vehicles”? (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Keita Suzuki, Maiko Oe)

“No car” Presence of motor show being asked

Successive introduction of electric vehicles!

Electric cars (EVs) were announced one after another by the Tokyo Motor Show. In addition to future concept cars, cars scheduled to be released in Japan next year were exhibited one after another.

Toyota Motor unveiled an ultra-compact EV that will be released next winter. It is a two-seater and is about 1 centimeter and 30 centimeters wider than a minicar.

Assuming the use of shopping in the neighborhood, the distance that can be driven by one charge was limited to 100 km. I want to keep the selling price down.

Honda also announced a small EV with a mileage of about 200 km.

Mazda also unveiled its first EV. It is an SUV (multipurpose sports car) that will first be launched in Europe, with domestic sales in mind.

In Japan, Nissan started selling EVs in 2010, but other domestic manufacturers have been slow. EV sales last year totaled more than 26,000 units, only 0.5% of all new cars.

Now that we have come here, the companies have finally come together. Will the full-fledged “EV era” come in Japan?

Is it still time for full-scale dissemination?

In the first place, environmental regulations are becoming stricter in Europe, China, etc., behind the introduction of EVs. For example, in Europe, if the standard is not met, the authorities will be fined, and some automakers are responsible for 10 billion yen per year.

A new fuel efficiency standard has also been proposed in Japan. It is necessary to respond to these environmental regulations.

However, the issue with the spread of EVs is that the selling price is still high. This is because the price of lithium-ion batteries, which occupy a large part of the cost, has not fallen.

According to a consumer awareness survey conducted in August by the Deloitte Tohmatsu Group (subject to about 2,000 people using the Internet), about 70% want to purchase an EV for less than ¥ 2.5 million.

The price of Nissan EV that is already on the market is from 3.3 million yen for the 322 km (WLTC mode) type that can be run on a single charge, and from 4.33 million yen for the 458 km type. There is still a gap between the sales price demanded by consumers.

The EV used at the motor show this time has a limited range of use to keep prices down. In both cases, the mileage is about 100 to 200 km, and it is not assumed that you are going out.

During the interview, a voice was heard saying "I want to understand how consumers use and what needs exist." Even if each company starts selling, it seems that EV cannot be said to replace gasoline cars all at once.

Looking ahead to the autonomous driving society

The automobile industry is said to be in a period of great change since it began. In order to survive, the key is to be able to support the latest technologies such as electrification, automatic driving, cars connected to the Internet, and sharing of usage from ownership of cars. There were many exhibits aimed at putting these technologies into practical use.

One of the technologies that looked at the autonomous driving society was the “unmanned parking” technology.

Nissan has installed an automatic driving function for parking on a mini-car EV. A free space is found in the parking lot and the car moves and stops automatically. When you want to get into a car, you can call it on your smartphone and come from the parking lot to where you are.

Toyota Motor, on the other hand, has announced technology that enables automatic garage storage in narrow spaces that are only 20 centimeters away from neighboring cars, using technologies such as sensors and cameras.

Coming soon! Cars are more convenient

As for services that connect cars and the Internet, a major parts manufacturer Denso has announced a system that uses car trunks as delivery boxes.

When you order a product on the Internet, the data is sent to the delivery person. The deliveryman moves based on a map showing the location of the car. Then, when you get to the place where the car is stopped, you open the trunk instead of the smartphone and pay for the goods. The company will be able to receive packages even when away from home.

On the other hand, Suzuki's concept car tickle the sense of fun. In other words, it is a “transforming car”.

The base is a coupe type, but when the switch is pressed, the rear part of the car starts to move and changes to a wagon type. Not only the appearance but also the driving mode can be changed to sports mode or EV mode, and the interior of the car can be changed to liquid crystal or wood grain.

"I want to enjoy the drive itself"
"A space to carry a lot of luggage is important"

Even if the number of cars owned decreases, if you can change the way of use according to your family's preference and purpose, you can share and enjoy one car. That is the idea.

How do you want to use a car

How do I use my car in the future? I thought about that while walking around the motor show.

I would like to expect the development of technology that will not only be convenient, but also prevent accidents and reduce the burden of driving. There are still issues that must be discussed socially, such as responsibility and response in the event of an accident or system trouble, in order for autonomous driving technology to further advance and run as normal on public roads.

I think it would be good if a safe, safe and convenient vehicle was born for everyone ahead of the period of change once in 100 years, as the discussion progressed along with technological progress.

Economic Department reporter Keita Suzuki Joined in 2003 from the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Obihiro Station, mainly in the primary industry

Economic Department reporter Maiko Oe Joined Mito in 2009