Tokyo auto show is all set to start on Wednesday, with press previews starting on Saturday and general visitors can see the show on Saturday too.
Automobile major, Toyota is showcasing its new gasoline-electric hybrid cars. Nissan and Honda are showcasing its fully electric cars as all the three companies jostle amongst themselves over who is going to dominate the next phase in green technology.
Surprisingly,in this show, non-Japanese car manufacturers will not be participating, as they are focusing on China, rather than Japan as Asia's next big auto market.
Toyota put a shot in its hybrid lineup on Tuesday by announcing the 'Sai', its first hybrid-only model since its popular car 'Prius', and also said that it intended to sell around 3,000 units a month in Japan starting Dec. 7.
"Sai, which means "talent" or "color," is bigger and costlier than the Prius and will not be sold outside of Japan for now", Toyota said.
"Plug-ins keep expensive batteries to a minimum and also solve the problems electric vehicles have with range," Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota's executive vice president, said at an industry seminar in Tokyo. "We believe that plug-in hybrids represent the most realistic use of electric energy."
"The electric car and zero emissions are winners in our industry," Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's chief executive, told reporters at a news conference on Monday. "Nissan will make the battery technology their core business."
