TOKYO (AP) – The Tokyo Motor Show, opening to the public Oct. 30 at Tokyo Big Sight convention hall, will be packed with futuristic eye-catching vehicles that drive themselves, offer online information in dazzling ways and are so green they are zero-emissions. Taking part with their latest offerings are 160 companies, including automakers, suppliers and motorcycle manufacturers from around the world, but the biggest stars of the Tokyo show are usually the Japanese. There will be 42 “world premiere” vehicles, being unveiled for the first time.
___
FUEL CELL RIVALRY
Honda Motor Co. is gearing up to challenge Toyota Motor Corp.’s Mirai fuel cell vehicle, which is already on sale, with its own fuel cell car, whose name is set to be announced at the show. It is promised for the Japanese market by the end of March 2016, and set for the U.S. market after that. Fuel cells are hot lately because they have zero emissions, running on the energy created when hydrogen stored in a fuel tank combines with oxygen in the air, and only spits out water. But it is a relatively expensive technology. The Mirai went on sale in the U.S. this month for $57,500 and Toyota plans to sell more than 3,000 Mirai cars in the U.S. by the end of 2017. Mirai, which means “future,” went on sale in Japan in December for 6.7 million yen ($56,000). In both places, it qualifies for green rebates. Toyota has received 1,500 orders for the Mirai in Japan. The key feature of the new Honda fuel cell is that the fuel stack is smaller and can fit under the hood where the gas engine usually is, instead of in the bottom, under the seats. This allows more cabin room, making Honda’s fuel cell the first model, planned for commercial production, to seat three people in the back. It travels more than 700 kilometers (430 miles) on a full tank, beating Mirai’s 500 kilometers (310 miles). Toyota is also planning to show a revamped fuel cell, although that’s a concept model without too many details.
___