10Meters News Service

October 28, 2001 Telematics will make cars of the future not only safer and cleaner, but more fun to drive, said Toyota president Fujio Cho.

Speaking at the 35th Tokyo Motor Show last week, Cho said that environmental concerns and information technology will be two major factors driving car evolution in the 21st century.

"The car is facing great changes in the 21st century, with the development of environmental technologies such as hybrid technology, and the continuing evolution of IT," said Cho. ''To change the car into a more environmentally friendly tool, and to make the car a more attractive item, it is very important to reach consensus in society."

It will take time to incorporate new technology into vehicles, however. As an example, Cho said that Toyota's dream for a hybrid car started in the 1970s as a way to take advantage of the potential of gas turbine engine technology. Although Toyota exhibited hybrid prototypes at several motors shows in the '70s, the technology puzzle did not come together to form a production vehicle until the introduction of the Prius in 1997.

Toyota's Prius is now joined by two more gasoline-electric hybrids, the Estima Hybrid minivan and Crown Royal mild hybrid luxury sedan, both now sold in Japan. Information technology is applied in these hybrid vehicles' intelligent energy management systems, noted Cho, as well as in car navigation and telematics innovations such as Toyota's G-Book mobile information system featured in the WiLL VC concept car.