Tokyo Motor Show

Suzuki MR Wagon concept car

The environmental current tends to ebb and flow at auto shows, with some years steeped in green and others nearly devoid of anything representing environmental sensitivity. At the recent Tokyo Motor Show –one of the most important barometers of automakers’ environmental thinking – things decidedly leaned toward advanced technologies that would improve fuel economy, reduce emissions, and motivate us with less environmental impact.

2004 Honda Imas

Here, Honda unveiled several environmental concepts including the IMAS hybrid electric vehicle, an exercise that aimed to blend the lightness of being found in bicycling with the serious stuff of motoring about on hybrid electric power. The ultra-light carbon fiber vehicle features exposed interior structure and a somewhat bare-bones approach to motoring, while definitely aiming to take the look of Honda’s current Insight to the next aesthetic level. Honda also showed its Kiwami fuel cell sports sedan.

2004 Nissan X-Trail

An array of hybrid and fuel cell vehicles were shown from automakers ranging from Nissan, Suzuki, Daihatsu, and Nissan to Ford, Mazda, DaimlerChrysler, and GM. Some were new concepts while others forwarded advanced but previously-presented vehicles like GM’s Hy-Wire fuel cell vehicle, and still others already in field trials like DaimlerChrysler’s F-Cell, Nissan’s X-Trail, and GM’s HydroGen3. Some interesting asides were seen like the wild and aggressive Jeep Treo and the Suzuki Mobile Terrace, the latter a whimsical bubble-like concept van with a serious developmental side based on GM’s Hy-Wire fuel cell “skateboard” platform.

The most significant environmental showing was found at the Toyota display where hybrid, electric, and fuel cell power was shown in a big way.

Toyota PM

Current Japanese market products including the 2004 Prius, Estima, and Alphard hybrids were on hand, along with additional hybrid concepts such as the SU-HV1 sport utility vehicle and the CS&S sports car. The Fine-N fuel cell concept was also shown.

One of the most interesting concepts at the show was also from Toyota, and also perhaps the most oddball – the electrically-driven Toyota PM, designed for personal mobility. The one-passenger pod-like vehicle sits upright to allow easy entry, then takes a more laid-back attitude as it’s driven. Its ultimate aim is to use advanced electronics and intelligent control to allow synchronized driving in tightly-packed cocoons of multiple vehicles in crowded urban areas.