1 / 9Toyota’s Experimental City: Japanese automaker Toyota is developing a unique urban site called Woven City near Mount Fuji to explore future mobility solutions, incorporating robotics, artificial intelligence, and self-driving vehicles that emit no pollution.
2 / 9Distinct from Smart Cities: Daisuke Toyoda, an executive from Toyota’s founding family overseeing the initiative, said, “We’re making a test course for mobility so that’s a little bit different. We’re not a real estate developer.”
3 / 9Focus on Transport Testing: According to an AP report, Toyoda said the location serves as a proving ground for advancing technologies like autonomous transport and AI, rather than a typical residential development.
4 / 9Scope of Construction: The first phase covers 47,000 square metres, equivalent to about five baseball pitches, with plans to grow to 294,000 square metres upon full completion.
5 / 9Repurposed Factory Site: Located on the grounds of a former Toyota Motor Corp. factory, the area aims to unite researchers and startup firms to exchange innovative concepts, according to Toyoda.
6 / 9Challenges in Similar Projects: Comparable ventures globally, such as Alphabet’s Toronto proposal, Saudi Arabia’s Neom, a San Francisco-area plan by a Goldman Sachs ex-trader, and Masdar City near Abu Dhabi, have faced delays or remain unfinished.
7 / 9Infrastructure Takes Shape: Building work started in 2021, featuring subterranean passages where driverless vehicles will handle tasks like waste collection and parcel delivery.
8 / 9Initial Population Plans: Currently unoccupied, the site will soon house 100 residents, dubbed “weavers,” who are employees of Toyota and partners like Nissin, Daikin, and UCC, the latter demonstrating an autonomous bus serving coffee.
9 / 9Hydrogen as Energy Source: Toyota prioritises hydrogen power for Woven City, diverging from the electric vehicle trend led by competitors like Tesla and Byd, despite its slower progress in that field.
