Toyota to showcase next-generation autonomous tech at Tokyo Olympics

Toyota’s next generation of autonomous technology will be shown at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. 

Automotive News Europe reports that the brand is planning to showcase what will be its current cutting-edge driverless technology, as well as yet-to-be-seen tech, which will feature on both Lexus and Toyota models from the early 2020s onwards. 

As one of the lead sponsors of the Olympics, Toyota will be keen to make a good impression on global visitors to the Tokyo games, by demonstrating its cutting-edge tech. In a statement about the brand’s Olympic involvement, Toyota said: “We are excited to share a range of projects, products, and services that will bring our shared vision to life and inspire the world with the power of human mobility.”

It’s likely that the brand’s autonomous technology will not be the only cutting-edge products on display; Lexus aims to have a hydrogen fuel cell-powered LF-FC on sale ahead of 2020, while Toyota plans to have its first full EV on sale in that year. 

A solid-state battery electric vehicle is also mooted for release in 2022, so Toyota may plan, like its next-generation driverless tech, to showcase the technology in the media hype surrounding the games, if not the final production car itself. 

A Toyota spokesman couldn’t confirm the brand's plans for the Olympics, but by 2020 Toyota will be at a far more advanced stage in the development of both its autonomous and EV mobility strategies.