LEAD IN

Japanese carmaker, Toyota has been testing its automated self-driving car in real highway traffic in Tokyo.

Called the "highway teammate" it can safely enter the motorway and change lanes without any human intervention.

STORY-LINE

Toyota's self-driving car on a test drive on the busy Tokyo highway shows off its sophisticated ability - merging onto the carriageway and changing lanes.

The Japanese carmaker has been testing its prototype called "Highway Teammate" for several years but this is the first time the car has entered a motorway from a sliproad and exited again without any human involvement.

The car travels for about eight kilometres (five miles) on the highway. The driver is sitting ready to intervene if necessary, but after pushing the button to activate self-driving mode his hands remain away from the wheel.

The prototype car is a modified Lexus GS and features equipment such as cameras, multiple sensors and highly accurate road map data which enables the car to evaluate traffic conditions, make decisions and take the necessary action by itself.

The car can maintain or change lanes or maintain distances with the car in front, even under congested traffic - thanks to its intelligent system of sensors.

Moritaka Yoshida, Toyota's Senior Managing Officer says the auto maker aims to commercialise the project by 2020.

"This car can handle almost every action a driver has to do on a highway without human intervention. We would like to aim for the commercialisation of this technology by the time Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020."

Toyota is not the only company which has been working on self-driving technologies. Other companies such as Honda and Google have also test-driven their own autonomous cars on the roads recently.

Yoshida stresses Toyota's new vehicle embodies the safety technology that is expected to play a key role in its future products.

"It is expected to contribute to improved safety of the road by reducing the number of casualties, to creating a comfortable driving environment by reducing the traffic and to providing freedom of mobility to all people including seniors and the disabled," he says.

The hands-free highway drive is getting closer to reality, however Yoshida also admits that still many things remained unresolved.

At this point, the car can be autonomous only in certain places such as a highway in Tokyo and under certain conditions where relatively few unpredictable things happen.

"Today's prototype showed that it could manage almost all the necessary manoeuvres on the highway. But it is also the fact that it could not function under certain difficult circumstances. We have to prepare for any sort of situation. So that is what we have to improve over the next five years," he says.

It also depends heavily on the accuracy of the road map data collected through cloud computers.

In that sense, the improvement of the accuracy of such information, which Toyota depends on from an outside source and can not fully control, is also essential for the realisation of the technology.

LEAD IN

Japanese carmaker, Toyota has been testing its automated self-driving car in real highway traffic in Tokyo.

Called the "highway teammate" it can safely enter the motorway and change lanes without any human intervention.

STORY-LINE

Toyota's self-driving car on a test drive on the busy Tokyo highway shows off its sophisticated ability - merging onto the carriageway and changing lanes.

The Japanese carmaker has been testing its prototype called "Highway Teammate" for several years but this is the first time the car has entered a motorway from a sliproad and exited again without any human involvement.

The car travels for about eight kilometres (five miles) on the highway. The driver is sitting ready to intervene if necessary, but after pushing the button to activate self-driving mode his hands remain away from the wheel.

The prototype car is a modified Lexus GS and features equipment such as cameras, multiple sensors and highly accurate road map data which enables the car to evaluate traffic conditions, make decisions and take the necessary action by itself.

The car can maintain or change lanes or maintain distances with the car in front, even under congested traffic - thanks to its intelligent system of sensors.

Moritaka Yoshida, Toyota's Senior Managing Officer says the auto maker aims to commercialise the project by 2020.

"This car can handle almost every action a driver has to do on a highway without human intervention. We would like to aim for the commercialisation of this technology by the time Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020."

Toyota is not the only company which has been working on self-driving technologies. Other companies such as Honda and Google have also test-driven their own autonomous cars on the roads recently.

Yoshida stresses Toyota's new vehicle embodies the safety technology that is expected to play a key role in its future products.

"It is expected to contribute to improved safety of the road by reducing the number of casualties, to creating a comfortable driving environment by reducing the traffic and to providing freedom of mobility to all people including seniors and the disabled," he says.

The hands-free highway drive is getting closer to reality, however Yoshida also admits that still many things remained unresolved.

At this point, the car can be autonomous only in certain places such as a highway in Tokyo and under certain conditions where relatively few unpredictable things happen.

"Today's prototype showed that it could manage almost all the necessary manoeuvres on the highway. But it is also the fact that it could not function under certain difficult circumstances. We have to prepare for any sort of situation. So that is what we have to improve over the next five years," he says.

It also depends heavily on the accuracy of the road map data collected through cloud computers.

In that sense, the improvement of the accuracy of such information, which Toyota depends on from an outside source and can not fully control, is also essential for the realisation of the technology.

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo, Japan - 6 October 2015

1. Tracking of Toyota's self-driving car "Highway teammate" running on a highway without human assistance

2. Close of steering wheel with hands on it

3. Close of the driver

4. Mid of the driver holding the steering wheel

5. Tracking of self-driving car changing lanes (its auto-driving red light on the rear window turns on)

6. Close of the car monitor showing "ready" for self-driving

7. Close of the driver touching the self-driving button

8. Mid of the driver letting go of the wheel

9. Close low shot of steering wheel and the driver's hands away from the wheel

10. Close of the indicator flicking without human assistance

11. Close of monitor showing the car changing lanes

12. Tilt down of the steering wheel to driver's hands

13. Tilt down of the test driver's head to his hands away from the steering wheel

14. Close of the Logo showing "MOBILITY TEAMMATE CONCEPT" on the dashboard

15. Mid of the car interior where the driver is not holding a steering wheel while the car changes lanes automatically

16. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Moritaka Yoshida, Tokyota's Senior Managing officer and Chief Safety Technology Officer (CSTO):

"This car can handle almost every action a driver has to do on a highway without human intervention. We would like to aim for the commercialisation of this technology by the time Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020."

17. Various details pan left of the car showcased inside the hall

18. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Moritaka Yoshida, Tokyota's Senior Managing officer and Chief Safety Technology Officer (CSTO):

"It is expected to contribute to improved safety on the road by reducing the number of casualties, to create a comfortable driving environment by reducing the traffic and to provide freedom of mobility to all people including the elderly and the disabled."

TOYOTA HANDOUT - (no restriction)

Tokyo, Japan - Recent

19. Handout video footage showing demonstration of the prototype driving on the road

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo, Japan - 6 October 2015

20. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Moritaka Yoshida, Tokyota's Senior Managing officer and Chief Safety Technology Officer (CSTO):

"Today's prototype showed that it could manage almost all the necessary manoeuvres on the highway. But it is also the fact that it still could not function under certain difficult circumstances. We have to prepare for any sort of situation. So that is what we have to improve over the next five years."

21. Mid of the car monitor showing a CG image of the passing car on the right

Natural Sound

Japanese giant - Toyota Motor Corp. - has successfully entered a joint venture with a Chinese car manufacturer in a key effort to gain a competitive edge in the growing market.

The deal would enable the annual production of approximately 30-thousand Toyota- brand compact cars for the Chinese market in the year 2002.

Beijing approved the agreement between Toyota and the Chinese state-run company at a total investment of 100 (m) million U-S dollars.

Toyota is the third Japanese auto maker to form a joint venture in China to produce passenger cars.

Tianjin Xiali Automotive Company Ltd. is a Chinese state-run company in the northern port city of Tianjin.

In a long-awaited move into the Chinese market, Beijing on Monday gave the green light for Japan's largest car maker to work with Tianjin Xiali.

The deal will establish a fifty-fifty joint venture with a total investment of 100 U-S (m) million dollars.

The joint venture will begin producing Toyota-brand compact cars in 2002, using the same platform as Vitz and Platz, Toyota's global strategic cars.

Annual production capacity of the joint venture is expected to reach around 30-thousand units.

In addition Toyota officials said the Chinese Government also approved a plan for Toyota to provide technical support to Tianjin Xiali to help the firm produce a re-designed Xiali model.

Tianjin Xiali plans to manufacture the re-designed Xiali, to be based on the Platz and Vitz models, next year.

Total production of the re-designed Xiali and older models is estimated at 120-thousand units per year.

Toyota's entry into the Chinese market comes as the country is on the verge of entering the World Trade Organization (W-T-O).

According to the landmark Sino-US agreement on China's W-T-O accession signed six months ago, the country will cut its tariffs on auto imports by roughly 75 per cent by mid-2006.

The joint venture will produce compact cars for the China market.

Compact cars are expected to be very popular for the Chinese consumers because they are affordable.

Toyota officials say it is hard to say what the price of the compact will be, but it is possible to produce a compact for around 12-thousand and forty-eight U-S dollars.

This is based on the current prices of Chinese-made parts and Toyota's technology level.

The Chinese government requires all auto joint ventures to use no less than forty per cent of domestically made parts.

Engaging in globally produced compact cars is an increasingly popular strategy among the world's auto makers seeking to develop lower-cost models that can be sold worldwide, especially in emerging markets like China.

Foreign auto makers, including South Korea's K-I-A and Italy's Fiat, have already started producing compact cars in China.

Toyota, following Suzuki Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Corp. will be the third Japanese auto makers to form a joint venture in China to produce passenger cars.

Tianjin port, China FILE - 1994; Tokyo, Japan September 1995; Europe File

Tianjin port, China

APTN File -1994

1. Wide shot of green Xiali sedan car in showroom

2. Wide shot of red sedan

3. Close up on logo of Xiali emblem

4. Mid shot of door of car being placed on vehicle in factory

5. Pullout from car with hood open to woman working in computer room

6. Rack focus of cars in line with workers

7. Mid shot of worker bolting bottom of car

8. Mid shot of engine placed in car from bottom

9. Wide shot of car bodies handing in factory

10. Mid shot of man bolting bottom of car

11. Mid shot of two workers placing front window

Europe VNR File

12. Various shots of Toyota car on road

VNR Burnaston, Derbyshire, UK File

13. Exterior shot of Toyota plant

Europe VNR File

14. Car shell on rack

15. Underneath of car

16. Mechanic working on engine

17. Car shell being lowered

Tokyo, Japan

APTN File

18. Close up on Toyota badge on car

19. Wide shot of Toyota showroom

Jap/Eng/Nat

The Toyota Motor Corporation has announced it is to market a new passenger car built by U-S car manufacturer General Motors.

Toyota plans to sell 20-thousand models of the Cavalier sedan annually through its Japanese sales outlets.

The joint venture couldn't have come at a more appropriate time - U-S-Japanese relations are being threatened by reports that the C-I-A spied on Japanese trade negotiators at the auto trade talks in Geneva.

Toyota and General Motors agreed in November 1993 to market G-M cars in Japan.

To firm up that agreement, Japan's largest car manufacturer on Monday announced it would start selling General Motors' Cavalier sedan from January 1996.

Toyota plans to sell 20-thousand of the U-S built Cavaliers annually through its 11-hundred sales outlets in Japan.

General Motors last year sold almost nine-thousand cars in Japan.

The joint venture couldn't have come at a more appropriate time.

U-S-Japanese relations are under threat again after a U-S newspaper reported that the C-I-A spied on Japanese trade negotiators at the Geneva auto talks.

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)

"The Cavalier is the result of Toyota and GM's close cooperation and we add a new page to Japan-US cooperation in the field of industry."

SUPERCAPTION: Hiroshi Okuda, President of Toyota

American car manufacturers have begun a massive marketing push for a slice of the Japanese market.

And to attract Japanese buyers, General Motors has adapted its model to Japanese standards.

SOUNDBITE:

"Of course, we moved the steering to the other side of the vehicle which is a definite requirement for the Japanese market in addition to that working with Toyota we also identified several other features that are important to the Japanese buyer which are different from American buyers."

SUPERCAPTION: John Cohoon, Chief Engineer General Motors

Analysts believe Toyota dealers will promote the Cavalier as a Japanese car rather than an American-made car.

SOUNDBITE:

"When one goes to buy a Cavalier, I don't know if the dealer are really going to promote that it is made in the USA. As much as it has a Toyota badge, don't worry it is Toyota car and it does not achieve the end goal of the U-S. It does achieve the numbers but it doesn't, I think, raise the awareness of Japanese consumers."

SUPER CAPTION: Brian Heywood - Auto industry analyst

The Toyota Cavalier will be priced at 20-thousand U-S dollars.

Tokyo, 16 October 1995 and recent file

1. Wide of cars at launch of Cavalier

2. Tight shot of car and man getting in

3. Man looking in engine of car - pan to man in drivers seat

4. Unveiling of car and dancers perform

5. Wide of car and speaker at podium

6. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Hiroshi Okuda, President of Toyota

7. General shot car driving down road

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) John Cohoon, Chief Engineer, GM

9. Pan of car sales street - file

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brian Heywood

11. Pan of new car at Cavalier show

12. Various: shots of new cars

TOYOTA PRESENT NEW TALKING PET ROBOT

The new robot from Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. can't do much but chatter in a high-pitched voice.

The 39,800-yen (390 US dollar), 10-centimetre (4-inch) -tall, doll-like Kirobo Mini - whose name comes from "kibo," or "hope," and "robot" - supposedly has the intelligence of a 5-year-old.

Fuminori Kataoka, general manager in charge of the project, says its value is emotional, going from home to car to the outdoors as a faithful companion, although the owner must do all the walking and driving.

Preorders start in Japan later this year. Shipments are set for next year. No overseas sales are planned so far.

It comes equipped with a camera, microphone and Bluetooth, and connects to a smartphone.

It turns its head toward a voice, although sometimes that function fails.

AP Entertainment

Tokyo, Japan, 27 September 2016

1. Close of Kirobo Mini at Toyota news conference

2. Wide of news conference with Fuminori Kataoka, Toyota Production Planning Division Project Manager (left) and Moritaka Yoshida, Toyota Senior Managing Officer (right)

3. Close of Kirobo Mini on hand

4. Tilt from Kirobo Mini to Kataoka and Yoshida

5. Close of Kirobo Mini turning its head

6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Fuminori Kataoka, Toyota Production Planning Division Project Manager:

"Toyota Motors has been making cars that have a lot of valuable uses. But this time we're just pushing emotional value to the forefront."

7. Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka UPSOUND (Japanese):

Kataoka: "Kirobo!"

Kirobo: "What?"

Kataoka: "Yes, yes?"

8. Wide of Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka with UPSOUND (Japanese): "Weren't you eating ramen on the second Saturday of September also?"

9. Close of Kirobo Mini speaking with UPSOUND (Japanese): "You look kind of sad, did something happen?"

10. Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka

Kataoka: "Good-bye"

Kirobo: "Bye-bye" (waves hand)

11. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Fuminori Kataoka, Toyota Production Planning Division Project Manager:

"The reason why we insisted on this - it is about the existence of something you can talk to. A stuffed animal might not answer back, but people do talk to it as if it responds, like my daughter once did. But if it talked back - if it said 'did something happen?' – wouldn't that be better?"

TOYOTA HANDOUT – NO ARCHIVE

Date and location unknown

12. Woman driving car with Kirobo Mini at her side

13. Kirobo Mini in car UPSOUND (Japanese): "Oh no, oh no, that scared me."

14. Kirobo Mini in car, with the driver turning off the engine. Kirobo responds with UPSOUND (Japanese): "Don't leave me behind!"

15. Woman carrying Kirobo Mini in her bag taking a walk

16. Close of Kirobo Mini in a bag with UPSOUND (Japanese): "Come to think of it, weren't we here last month as well?"

The new robot from Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. can't do much but chatter in a high-pitched voice.

The 39,800-yen (390 US dollar), 10-centimetre (4-inch) -tall, doll-like Kirobo Mini - whose name comes from "kibo," or "hope," and "robot" - supposedly has the intelligence of a 5-year-old.

Fuminori Kataoka, general manager in charge of the project, says its value is emotional, going from home to car to the outdoors as a faithful companion, although the owner must do all the walking and driving.

Preorders start in Japan later this year. Shipments are set for next year. No overseas sales are planned so far.

It comes equipped with a camera, microphone and Bluetooth, and connects to a smartphone. It turns its head toward a voice, although sometimes that function fails.

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo, Japan – 27 September 2016

1. Close of Kirobo Mini at Toyota news conference

2. Wide of news conference with Fuminori Kataoka, Toyota Production Planning Division Project Manager (left) and Moritaka Yoshida, Toyota Senior Managing Officer (right)

3. Close of Kirobo Mini on hand

4. Tilt from Kirobo Mini to Kataoka and Yoshida

5. Close of Kirobo Mini turning its head

6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Fuminori Kataoka, Toyota Production Planning Division Project Manager:

"Toyota Motors has been making cars that have a lot of valuable uses. But this time we're just pushing emotional value to the forefront."

7. Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka UPSOUND (Japanese):

Kataoka: "Kirobo!"

Kirobo: "What?"

Kataoka: "Yes, yes?"

8. Wide of Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka with UPSOUND (Japanese): "Weren't you eating ramen on the second Saturday of September also?"

9. Close of Kirobo Mini speaking with UPSOUND (Japanese): "You look kind of sad, did something happen?"

10. Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka

Kataoka: "Good-bye"

Kirobo: "Bye-bye" (waves hand)

11. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Fuminori Kataoka, Toyota Production Planning Division Project Manager:

"The reason why we insisted on this - it is about the existence of something you can talk to. A stuffed animal might not answer back, but people do talk to it as if it responds, like my daughter once did. But if it talked back - if it said 'did something happen?' – wouldn't that be better?"

TOYOTA HANDOUT – NO ARCHIVE

Date and location unknown

12. Woman driving car with Kirobo Mini at her side

13. Kirobo Mini in car UPSOUND (Japanese): "Oh no, oh no, that scared me."

14. Kirobo Mini in car, with the driver turning off the engine. Kirobo responds with UPSOUND (Japanese): "Don't leave me behind!"

15. Woman carrying Kirobo Mini in her bag taking a walk

16. Close of Kirobo Mini in a bag with UPSOUND (Japanese): "Come to think of it, weren't we here last month as well?"

Japanese/Nat

Japan is famous for its wacky inventions and the engineers at car giant Toyota have helped to reaffirm this widely held notion.

At the Idea Olympics the Toyota engineers had the opportunity to show their creations - scooters that grew legs, row boats with wheels and a drum kit that gains motion with every beat.

Engineers at car giant Toyota traded their suits and overalls for a little gloss Friday, showing off their wacky inventions in the Idea Olympics.

Over 5-thousand different modes of transport were entered in this year's 20th Idea Olympics. Some literally moved to the beat.

The Idea Olympics showed the engineers were not short of imagination when designing their creations.

Believe it or not, this mobile unit called the double disk revolver is a design based on the helicopter.

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)

"Looking at a helicopter flying freely in the sky, I was inspired to make something that would move around like a helicopter on the ground.

SUPER CAPTION: Shinji Fukamachi, Toyota engineer.

No one was quite sure if this contraption had a name, it just moved said the engineers.

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)

"In a way they are just funny. But it's important for our engineers to use their imagination.

SUPER CAPTION: Kazuhiko Shibata, Toyota Idea Olympics organiser.

The winning design - the so-called Land Scull - was one of the few which had a real purpose in the world.

Some mobiles were able to perform both on land as in water.

But it's unlikely a biker would trade in his Harley Davidson for this three wheeler, nor is anyone likely to swap his scooter for this four-legged road runner.

Tokyo, Japan, 9th February 1996

1. Wide shot of Toyota engineers dressed up and demonstrating their inventions.

2. Wide shot of the Double Disk Revolver.

3. Close-up of the wheels.

4. SOUNDBITE Shinji Fukamachi, Toyota Engineer.

5. Wide shot of moving contraption.

6. SOUNDBITE Kazuhiko Shibata, Toyota Idea Olympics organiser.

7. Wide shot of Land Scull being demonstrated on land

8. Land Scull being demonstrated on water.

9. Three wheel motorbike being ridden into water.

10. Various of Road Runner scooter.

KEYWORDS: UNUSUAL & SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

HEADLINE: Toyota to temporarily halt sales of Lexus GX 460

toyota consumer reports

CAPTION: Toyota Motor Corp. is temporarily halting sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 after Consumer Reports issued a rare "Don''t Buy" warning amid concerns the large SUV has handling problems that could cause it to roll over during sharp turns. (April 13)

NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST

Toyota is asking its dealers to temporarily stop the sales of of the 2010 Lexus GX 460.

That decision comes on the heels of Consumer Reports magazine issuing a rare "Don''t Buy" warning over concerns that vehicle has handling problems.

East Haddam, Connecticut/BUG: Courtesy of Consumer Reports NATS: screech

This video provided by Consumer Reports shows a driver deliberately sliding the newest Lexus S-U-V out of control.

Rik Paul, Consumer Reports, Yonkers, New York SOT: In a real world situation, if the vehicle were to slide out in a public road in that manner, the real word could hit a curb or slide off the pavement which could cause a rollover. It''s called a ''tripped rollover'' and that''s the most common type of rollover."

.

The magazine says the "electronic stability control" on the GX 460 takes too long to kick in.

The head of Toyota''s Lexus brand says the company taking that claim very seriously and is determined to identify and correct the problem.

Paul SOT: "Possibly all this could take is a tweak to the stability control system to fix this problem, though I''m not an engineer so it''s hard for me to speculate."

Consumer Reports says it''s not aware of any cases in which the G-X 460 has actually rolled over.

Lexus says it will provide a loaner car to any owner who is concerned about driving the vehicle.

Toyota''s decision to halt sales of the S-U-V is just the latest blow to the carmaker''s already tarnished reputation.

Millions of Toyotas were recalled over faulty gas pedals back in January...

and the federal government has accused the automaker of dragging its feet when it came to addressing those issues.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4058480

The new robot from Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. can't do much but chatter in a high-pitched voice.

The 390 US dollar, 4-inch -tall, doll-like Kirobo Mini - whose name comes from "kibo," or "hope," and "robot" - supposedly has the intelligence of a 5-year-old.

Fuminori Kataoka, general manager in charge of the project, says its value is emotional, going from home to car to the outdoors as a faithful companion, although the owner must do all the walking and driving.

Preorders start in Japan later this year. Shipments are set for next year. No overseas sales are planned so far.

It comes equipped with a camera, microphone and Bluetooth, and connects to a smartphone. It turns its head toward a voice, although sometimes that function fails.

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo, Japan – 27 September 2016

1. Close of Kirobo Mini at Toyota news conference

2. Wide of news conference with Fuminori Kataoka, Toyota Production Planning Division Project Manager (left) and Moritaka Yoshida, Toyota Senior Managing Officer (right)

3. Close of Kirobo Mini on hand

4. Tilt from Kirobo Mini to Kataoka and Yoshida

5. Close of Kirobo Mini turning its head

6. Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka UPSOUND (Japanese):

Kataoka: "Kirobo!"

Kirobo: "What?"

Kataoka: "Yes, yes?"

7. Wide of Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka with UPSOUND (Japanese): "Weren't you eating ramen on the second Saturday of September also?"

8. Close of Kirobo Mini speaking with UPSOUND (Japanese): "You look kind of sad, did something happen?"

9. Kirobo Mini speaking with Kataoka

Kataoka: "Good-bye"

Kirobo: "Bye-bye" (waves hand)

TOYOTA HANDOUT – NO ARCHIVE

Date and location unknown

10. Woman driving car with Kirobo Mini at her side

11. Kirobo Mini in car UPSOUND (Japanese): "Oh no, oh no, that scared me."

12. Woman carrying Kirobo Mini in her bag taking a walk

13. Close of Kirobo Mini in a bag with UPSOUND (Japanese): "Come to think of it, weren't we here last month as well?"

HEADLINE: Toyota to recall 270K cars for engine fix

CAPTION: Toyota will recall 270,000 Lexus and other vehicles worldwide to fix faulty engines in the latest quality lapse at the world's No. 1 automaker. (July 2)

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

Toyota will recall 270 thousand Lexus and other vehicles around the world to fix faulty engines.

The tarnished automaker says that a flaw in valve springs could cause the vehicle to stall out.

It's the latest in a string of manufacturing issues for the world's number one car maker.

[Notes:SOT - Jessica caldwell -- Edmunds dot com]

Toyota has recalled eight point five million vehicles since November.

This latest recall could cost the company as much as 227 million dollars.

But analysts say that could be the least of its problems.

The automaker faces more than 200 lawsuits and has seen its stock take a significant hit.

HEADLINE: Toyota incidents renew owner fears over safety

CAPTION: Several high-profile incidents this week involving runaway Toyotas have renewed fears over the safety of the cars. Analysts say it could take a long time for the brand image of the world''s largest automaker to recover. (March 11)

SUPERS:

00:00-0:05 El Cajon, CA

0:05-0:07 James Sikes/Prius Owner

0:07-0:16 Harrison, NY

0:08-0:16 Voice of : Anthony Marraccini, Harrison, ny Police

0:16-0:19 Toyota

0:25-0:43 Rebecca Linland/IHS Global Insight

0:48-:0:52 PUALANI OBER//TOYOTA OWNER//LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

0:52-0:57 COREY WILLIAMS//TOYOTA OWNER//VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA

1:03-1:15 Tammy Darvish/vp darcars automotive group

[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]

[Notes:EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA/SOURCE: XETV]

AN UNSTOPPABLE TOYOTA PRIUS ON A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY.

(sot: JAMES sikes/prius owner)

I won''t drive that car again. Period.

[Notes:HARRISON, NY: SOURCE: AP]

ANOTHER PRIUS LURCHES OUT OF A NEW YORK DRIVEWAY AND INTO A STONE WALL.

(sot: Anthony Marraccini, Harrison, ny Police)

the car accelerated and continued to accelerate even after she applied the

brakes."

THE COMPANY HAS RECALLED EIGHT-AND-A-HALF MILLION VEHICLES WORLDWIDE. BUT FIXING THE CARS MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO FIX THE DAMAGE THAT''S BEEN DONE TO TOYOTA''S ONCE-STELLAR REPUTATION FOR QUALITY.

(sot: Rebecca Linland/IHS Global Insight)

I think it''s going to be a while before Toyota can really establish their brand image. And we''re looking at long-term consequences for this as well. We have a lot of new buyers coming into the market, a lot of pent up demand and people are looking at other brands, perhaps for the first time in their life, and they''re making other brand choices.

[Notes:NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA: SOURCE:AP]

DESPITE THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY, SOME TOYOTA OWNERS SAY THEY''RE STILL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THEIR CARS.

(sot: PUALANI OBER//TOYOTA OWNER//LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA)

(:38) I''m trusting they''re giving us the correct information to keep us safe.

(sot: COREY WILLIAMS//TOYOTA OWNER//VAN NUYS, CALIFORNIA)

(00:55) My big concern was the brakes. I''m very confident though, it''s a good car.

[Notes:SILVER SPRING, MD/ SOURCE: AP]

DEALERS SAY THEY''RE FIXING CARS ON THE RECALL LIST AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN--AND ARE TRYING TO SOUND UPBEAT.

(sot: Tammy Darvish/vp darcars automotive group)

(11:44:33) I think what toyota''s doing with immediately sending a tech team and nhtsa getting involved and they''re inspecting these vehicles now as we speak, I think we''ll see that these vehicles are safe and toyota''s just making them safer.

THE LONG-TERM TEST FOR TOYOTA WILL BE WHETHER THE COMPANY CAN CONVINCE BUYERS IT''S FOUND AND FIXED THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE CAUSED SOME OF ITS CARS TO GO OUT OF CONTROL.

SHOTLIST

AP TELEVISION

FILE: New York City, United States - 22 January 2010

1. Pull out from Toyota steering wheel to driver

2. Zoom in to accelerator pedal

TOYOTA VNR

New York City, United States - Pre-recorded interview released 1 February, 2010

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jim Lentz, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA:

"Well, first understand that this is a rare situation that takes place but if you notice that your accelerator pedal is slow to return or if it begins to stick, please contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible. If that''s not taking place, go to the Toyota web site at toyota.com and it will explain which vehicles are affected by this recall and then very soon you''ll receive a letter from us notifying you to contact your dealer to set up an appointment so we can take care of this as rapidly as possible."

AP TELEVISION

FILE: New York City, United States - 22 January 2010

4. Foot stepping on accelerator pedal

TOYOTA VNR

New York City, United States - Pre-recorded interview released 1 February 2010

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jim Lentz, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA:

"We are truly sorry for letting them (the customers) down, that nothing is more important to us than their safety and their satisfaction and that we''re redoubling our efforts to make sure that this can never happen again."

AP TELEVISION

Washington, DC, United States - 27 January 2010

6. Wide of Toyota stand at car show

7. Close-up of Toyota Camry

8. Wide of Toyota Camry

9. Mid of Toyota Highlander

10. Close-up of Highlander

11. Wide of Toyota Corolla

12. Close-up of Corolla

TOYOTA VNR

FILE: Date and location unknown

13. Various of Toyota manufacturing plant

AP TELEVISION

Brussels, Belgium - 1 February 2010

14. Wide of exterior of Toyota Motors Europe building

15. Close-up of Toyota sign and European Union flag

16. Toyota Motors Europe spokesman Etienne Plas, walking through security barrier

17. Close-up of Toyota Motors sign on wall

18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Etienne Plas, Toyota Motors Europe spokesman:

"Basically Toyota has announced that we have found, identified and confirmed a remedy for the pedal issue, the sticking accelerator pedal issue, it''s a quite simple solution that will be applied as soon as possible in the US, in Europe to solve this problem."

19. Cutaway of Plas talking to reporter

20. SOUNDBITE: (French) Etienne Plas, Toyota Motors Europe spokesman:

++TILTS DOWN TO PLAS DEMONSTRATING WITH PEDAL DURING SOUNDBITE++

"We have identified a way to solve this accelerator pedal problem, you can see here that there are two small pieces that are in contact with each other, and that is the friction between those two pieces, which, after a long period of use, could pose a problem. So what we are going to do is to insert a thin strip of metal, which lifts this piece here and can eliminate this friction and then solve the problem."

21. Close-up of Plas demonstrating pedal solution

22. SOUNDBITE: (English) Etienne Plas, Toyota Motors Europe spokesman:

"I would like to give you a precise answer, unfortunately I cannot as of today. We will work as fast and as efficiently as possible in the US, in Europe, but we have no precise details in Europe I cannot tell you precisely when it is going to happen, but as fast as possible."

23. Cutaway of pedal

24. Wide of interview

STORYLINE

Toyota Motor Corporation said on Monday its dealers should get parts to fix a sticky accelerator pedal problem by the end of this week as the automaker apologized to customers and tried to bring an end to a recall that has affected 4.2 (m) million vehicles worldwide.

The company said in a statement that it has begun shipping parts and is training service technicians on the repairs.

Some dealers will stay open 24 hours to fix the 2.3 (m) million cars and trucks affected by the recall in the US.

In a pre-recorded video clip released on Monday by the automaker, Jim Lentz , president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, said he was "truly sorry for letting" customers down and he explained what people should do if they own one of the affected vehicles.

Government regulators told Toyota last week that they were satisfied with the repair plan.

Technical bulletins on how to install the new parts should arrive at dealers by midweek, the company told dealers in an e-mail.

It was not clear exactly when repairs would start, although dealers have said they''ll begin as soon as possible.

The automaker also said on Monday it would suspend production of eight US models affected by the recall for this week, with factories restarting on February 8.

Toyota recalled the vehicles on January 21, determining that excess friction in the accelerator pedal assembly could in rare cases cause the pedals to stick.

Engineers traced the problem to a friction device in the assembly that is supposed to provide the proper pedal "feel" by adding resistance, Toyota said in the statement.

The device has a shoe that rubs against a nearby metal surface during normal pedal use.

But wear and environmental conditions can over time cause the pedals to not operate smoothly or in rare cases stick partially open.

The company said a steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the pedal assembly, reducing the friction.

The recall in the US includes the 2009-10 RAV4 crossover, the 2009-10 Corolla, the 2009-10 Matrix hatchback, the 2005-10 Avalon, the 2007-10 Camry, the 2010 Highlander crossover, the 2007-10 Tundra pickup and the 2008-10 Sequoia SUV.

It also has been expanded to another 1.9 (m) million vehicles in Europe and China.

In Brussels on Monday, Toyota Motors Europe spokesman Etienne Plas, said a solution had been found and would be "applied as soon as possible in the US, in Europe to solve this problem."

Plas was unable to give a precise schedule for the replacement work.

Toyota said that not all the models of Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander listed in the recall have the faulty pedals, which were made by CTS Corporation of Elkhart, Indiana.

Dealers can tell which models have the CTS pedals.

Models made in Japan, and some models built in the US, have pedal systems made by another parts supplier, Denso Corporation, which function well.

All Matrix, Avalon, Tundra and Sequoia models covered by the recall have the faulty pedals.

Toyota announced late on Friday that it would begin shipping new pedal systems to dealers as well.

On Sunday, Toyota took out full-page ads in 20 major newspapers to reassure its customers.

But crisis management experts said the company''s reputation for impeccable reliability has been damaged.

Meanwhile, Consumer Reports, an influential publication for car buyers, on Friday suspended its "recommended" status for the eight recalled Toyota models.

The pedal recall is separate from another recall involving floor mats that can bend and push down accelerators on certain Toyota and Lexus models.

The two recalls combined affect more than 7 (m) million vehicles worldwide.

Toyota said on Monday it is in the process of recalling vehicles to fix the floor mat problem.

Some of its cars are affected by both recalls, and the company said it intends to fix both problems at the same time.

SHOTLIST

AP TELEVISION

FILE: New York City - 22 January 2010

1. Pull out from Toyota steering wheel to driver

2. Zoom in to accelerator pedal

TOYOTA VNR

New York City - Pre-recorded interview released 01 February, 2010

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jim Lentz, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA:

"Well, first understand that this is a rare situation that takes place but if you notice that your accelerator pedal is slow to return or if it begins to stick, please contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible. If that''s not taking place, go to the Toyota web site at toyota.com and it will explain which vehicles are affected by this recall and then very soon you''ll receive a letter from us notifying you to contact your dealer to set up an appointment so that we can take care of this as rapidly as possible."

AP TELEVISION

FILE: New York City - 22 January 2010

4. Mid of foot stepping on accelerator peddle

TOYOTA VNR

New York City - Pre-recorded interview released 01 February 2010

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jim Lentz, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales USA:

"We are truly sorry for letting them (the customers) down. Nothing is more important to us than their safety and their satisfaction and we''re redoubling our efforts to make sure that this can never happen again."

AP TELEVISION

Washington, DC - 27 January 2010

6. Wide of car show

7. Close-up of Toyota Camry

8. Wide of Toyota Camry

9. Mid of Toyota Highlander

10. Close-up of Highlander

11. Wide of Toyota Corolla

12. Close-up of Corolla

TOYOTA VNR

FILE: Date and location unknown

13. Various of Toyota manufacturing plant

STORYLINE

Toyota Motor Corporation said on Monday its dealers should get parts to fix a sticky gas pedal problem this week as the automaker tries to bring an end to a recall that has affected 4.2 (m) million vehicles worldwide.

The company said in a statement that it has begun shipping parts and is training service technicians on the repairs.

Some dealers will stay open 24 hours to fix the 2.3 (m) million cars and trucks affected by the recall in the US.

In a pre-recorded video clip released on Monday by the automaker, Jim Lentz , president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, said he was "truly sorry for letting" their customers down and he explained what they should do if they own one of the affected vehicles.

Government regulators told Toyota last week that they were satisfied with the repair plan.

The automaker also said Monday it would suspend production of eight US models affected by the recall for this week.

Toyota recalled the vehicles on January 21, determining that excess friction in the gas pedal assembly could in rare cases cause the pedals to stick.

Engineers traced the problem to a friction device in the assembly that is supposed to provide the proper pedal "feel" by adding resistance, Toyota said in the statement.

The device has a shoe that rubs against a nearby metal surface during normal pedal use.

But wear and environmental conditions can over time cause the pedals to not operate smoothly or in rare cases stick partially open.

The company said a steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the gas pedal assembly, reducing the friction.

The recall in the US includes the 2009-10 RAV4 crossover, the 2009-10 Corolla, the 2009-10 Matrix hatchback, the 2005-10 Avalon, the 2007-10 Camry, the 2010 Highlander crossover, the 2007-10 Tundra pickup and the 2008-10 Sequoia SUV.

It also has been expanded to another 1.9 (m) million vehicles in Europe and China.

Toyota said that not all the models of Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander listed in the recall have the faulty gas pedals, which were made by CTS Corporation of Elkhart, Indiana.

Dealers can tell which models have the CTS pedals.

Models made in Japan, and some models built in the US, have pedal systems made by another parts supplier, Denso Corp., which function well.

All Matrix, Avalon, Tundra and Sequoia models have the faulty pedals.

Toyota announced late on Friday that it would begin shipping new gas pedal systems to dealers as well.

On Sunday, Toyota took out full-page ads in 20 major newspapers to reassure its customers.

But crisis management experts said the company''s reputation for impeccable reliability has been damaged.

Meanwhile, Consumer Reports, an influential publication for car buyers, on Friday suspended its "recommended" status for the eight recalled Toyota models.

Toyota was to stop production of the eight US models involved in the recall on Monday, and it has told dealers to stop selling the models until they can be repaired.

The pedal recall is separate from another recall involving floor mats that can bend and push down accelerators.

The two recalls combined affect more than 7 (m) million vehicles worldwide.

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY / PART MANDATORY ON-SCREEN COURTESY 'TOYOTA UK'

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Paris - 2 October 2018

1. Pan of Toyota stand at Paris Motor show

2. Pan down to soon to be released hybrid Corolla

3. Mid of Corolla with Toyota logo in background

4. Matthew Harrison, Toyota Motor Europe's Vice President for Sales and Marketing, stepping out of Corolla and walking off podium

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Harrison, Toyota Motor Europe's Vice President for Sales and Marketing:

"But of course when you look at a modern day factory in the UK and the supply chain complexity of that, it's a real headache for us. I mean, we have 50 trucks a day coming through the tunnel to Burnaston between suppliers and us, or between Burnaston and deliveries to dealers on the continent. We have about four hours of inventory only at the factory. We don't really have a warehouse and the ability to stock inventory. So of course, very quickly, if there's not free and frictionless trade on the border, we can stop the factory quite quickly."

6. Close of Corolla tail lights and logo as it swivels past on stand

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Matthew Harrison, Toyota Motor Europe's Vice President for Sales and Marketing:

"And of course the timing is particularly difficult for us because of the new car. We're in a process of now ramping down production of the old generation product. We'll be commencing at the end of the year production of the new product, in which case the timing is just in the moment of our ramp-up phase. So of course that makes it even more difficult for us to cope with."

TOYOTA HANDOUT - MANDATORY ON-SCREEN COURTESY 'TOYOTA UK'

FILE: Burnaston, United Kingdom - Recent

++MUTE++

8. Exterior aerial shot of UK Toyota factory

9. Various of assembly line for Toyota Auris, including timelapse video

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Paris - 2 October 2018

10. Various of Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, walking through crowd at Paris Motor Show

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders:

"We basically build European cars in the UK. We're totally integrated into the European automotive environment. So yes, 80 percent of the cars we produce go abroad, and if you look at the cars sold in the UK, 82 percent come from abroad, the overwhelming majority coming from the rest of the EU. Then you drill down a bit further, look at the parts and components that go into a car. And again, the majority of those parts of cars made in the UK come from abroad. And we also have a large supply chain that exports. Anything that disrupts that is going to pose problems and create difficulties for business. That's what we're trying to avoid."

12. Tilt-up of Hawes giving interview

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders:

"If we were to fall out without a deal, then we revert to WTO trading arrangements. That means tariffs which are 10 percent for new cars - 2.5 to 4.5 percent for parts. Work that through and you're faced with the possibility of potentially an additional 5 billion pound cost on that cross-Channel trade in terms of export and import total cost. That is a difficult obstacle to surmount."

14. Mid of visitors looking at car specifications

15. Close of visitor inside car

16. Wide of crowd

17. Presentation screen outside main pavilion

18. Pan of entrance hub

STORYLINE:

Toyota executives expressed concerns on Tuesday that a no-deal Brexit could be detrimental to the roll-out of the new hybrid Corolla scheduled to reach dealers by next April.

Toyota Motor Europe's Vice President for Sales and Marketing, Matthew Harrison, said that the timing of Brexit coincides with the projected start of production of the the new model set for the end of the year.

"That makes it even more difficult for us to cope with," he said

As production of the C-segment ramps up at the UK factory in Burnaston starting in December, the carmaker says frictions at the border with the EU could provoke "huge disruption".

Close to nine out of every 10 cars off the assembly line are currently destined to the wider European market while a large share of parts and components are produced in the EU and shipped to the UK.

"We have about four hours of inventory only at the factory," Harrison said.

"We don't really have a warehouse and the ability to stock inventory. So of course, very quickly, if there's not free and frictionless trade on the border, we can stop the factory quite quickly."

Many within the UK auto industry have made it clear to the British Government they expect anything short of a free-trade agreement would cause financial turmoil.

Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, described the UK car industry as "totally integrated into the European automotive environment."

He said that anything that disrupts the import-export supply chain "is going to pose problems and create difficulties for business."

He said that if the UK leave the EU without a deal it will revert to WTO trading agreements which mean "the possibility of potentially an additional 5 billion pounds (6.5 billion US dollars) cost on that cross-Channel trade in terms of exports and imports total cost."

"That is a difficult obstacle to surmount," Hawes added.

===========================================================

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

LEAD IN

Japanese carmaker, Toyota has been testing its automated self-driving car in real highway traffic in Tokyo.

Called the "highway teammate" it can safely enter the motorway and change lanes without any human intervention.

STORY-LINE

Toyota's self-driving car on a test drive on the busy Tokyo highway shows off its sophisticated ability - merging onto the carriageway and changing lanes.

The Japanese carmaker has been testing its prototype called "Highway Teammate" for several years but this is the first time the car has entered a motorway from a sliproad and exited again without any human involvement.

The car travels for about eight kilometres (five miles) on the highway. The driver is sitting ready to intervene if necessary, but after pushing the button to activate self-driving mode his hands remain away from the wheel.

The prototype car is a modified Lexus GS and features equipment such as cameras, multiple sensors and highly accurate road map data which enables the car to evaluate traffic conditions, make decisions and take the necessary action by itself.

The car can maintain or change lanes or maintain distances with the car in front, even under congested traffic - thanks to its intelligent system of sensors.

Moritaka Yoshida, Toyota's Senior Managing Officer says the auto maker aims to commercialise the project by 2020.

"This car can handle almost every action a driver has to do on a highway without human intervention. We would like to aim for the commercialisation of this technology by the time Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020."

Toyota is not the only company which has been working on self-driving technologies. Other companies such as Honda and Google have also test-driven their own autonomous cars on the roads recently.

Yoshida stresses Toyota's new vehicle embodies the safety technology that is expected to play a key role in its future products.

"It is expected to contribute to improved safety of the road by reducing the number of casualties, to creating a comfortable driving environment by reducing the traffic and to providing freedom of mobility to all people including seniors and the disabled," he says.

The hands-free highway drive is getting closer to reality, however Yoshida also admits that still many things remained unresolved.

At this point, the car can be autonomous only in certain places such as a highway in Tokyo and under certain conditions where relatively few unpredictable things happen.

"Today's prototype showed that it could manage almost all the necessary manoeuvres on the highway. But it is also the fact that it could not function under certain difficult circumstances. We have to prepare for any sort of situation. So that is what we have to improve over the next five years," he says.

It also depends heavily on the accuracy of the road map data collected through cloud computers.

In that sense, the improvement of the accuracy of such information, which Toyota depends on from an outside source and can not fully control, is also essential for the realisation of the technology.

LEAD IN

Japanese carmaker, Toyota has been testing its automated self-driving car in real highway traffic in Tokyo.

Called the "highway teammate" it can safely enter the motorway and change lanes without any human intervention.

STORY-LINE

Toyota's self-driving car on a test drive on the busy Tokyo highway shows off its sophisticated ability - merging onto the carriageway and changing lanes.

The Japanese carmaker has been testing its prototype called "Highway Teammate" for several years but this is the first time the car has entered a motorway from a sliproad and exited again without any human involvement.

The car travels for about eight kilometres (five miles) on the highway. The driver is sitting ready to intervene if necessary, but after pushing the button to activate self-driving mode his hands remain away from the wheel.

The prototype car is a modified Lexus GS and features equipment such as cameras, multiple sensors and highly accurate road map data which enables the car to evaluate traffic conditions, make decisions and take the necessary action by itself.

The car can maintain or change lanes or maintain distances with the car in front, even under congested traffic - thanks to its intelligent system of sensors.

Moritaka Yoshida, Toyota's Senior Managing Officer says the auto maker aims to commercialise the project by 2020.

"This car can handle almost every action a driver has to do on a highway without human intervention. We would like to aim for the commercialisation of this technology by the time Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020."

Toyota is not the only company which has been working on self-driving technologies. Other companies such as Honda and Google have also test-driven their own autonomous cars on the roads recently.

Yoshida stresses Toyota's new vehicle embodies the safety technology that is expected to play a key role in its future products.

"It is expected to contribute to improved safety of the road by reducing the number of casualties, to creating a comfortable driving environment by reducing the traffic and to providing freedom of mobility to all people including seniors and the disabled," he says.

The hands-free highway drive is getting closer to reality, however Yoshida also admits that still many things remained unresolved.

At this point, the car can be autonomous only in certain places such as a highway in Tokyo and under certain conditions where relatively few unpredictable things happen.

"Today's prototype showed that it could manage almost all the necessary manoeuvres on the highway. But it is also the fact that it could not function under certain difficult circumstances. We have to prepare for any sort of situation. So that is what we have to improve over the next five years," he says.

It also depends heavily on the accuracy of the road map data collected through cloud computers.

In that sense, the improvement of the accuracy of such information, which Toyota depends on from an outside source and can not fully control, is also essential for the realisation of the technology.

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo, Japan - 6 October 2015

1. Tracking of Toyota's self-driving car "Highway teammate" running on a highway without human assistance

2. Close of steering wheel with hands on it

3. Close of the driver

4. Mid of the driver holding the steering wheel

5. Tracking of self-driving car changing lanes (its auto-driving red light on the rear window turns on)

6. Close of the car monitor showing "ready" for self-driving

7. Close of the driver touching the self-driving button

8. Mid of the driver letting go of the wheel

9. Close low shot of steering wheel and the driver's hands away from the wheel

10. Close of the indicator flicking without human assistance

11. Close of monitor showing the car changing lanes

12. Tilt down of the steering wheel to driver's hands

13. Tilt down of the test driver's head to his hands away from the steering wheel

14. Close of the Logo showing "MOBILITY TEAMMATE CONCEPT" on the dashboard

15. Mid of the car interior where the driver is not holding a steering wheel while the car changes lanes automatically

16. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Moritaka Yoshida, Tokyota's Senior Managing officer and Chief Safety Technology Officer (CSTO):

"This car can handle almost every action a driver has to do on a highway without human intervention. We would like to aim for the commercialisation of this technology by the time Tokyo hosts the Olympics in 2020."

17. Various details pan left of the car showcased inside the hall

18. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Moritaka Yoshida, Tokyota's Senior Managing officer and Chief Safety Technology Officer (CSTO):

"It is expected to contribute to improved safety on the road by reducing the number of casualties, to create a comfortable driving environment by reducing the traffic and to provide freedom of mobility to all people including the elderly and the disabled."

TOYOTA HANDOUT - (no restriction)

Tokyo, Japan - Recent

19. Handout video footage showing demonstration of the prototype driving on the road

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo, Japan - 6 October 2015

20. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Moritaka Yoshida, Tokyota's Senior Managing officer and Chief Safety Technology Officer (CSTO):

"Today's prototype showed that it could manage almost all the necessary manoeuvres on the highway. But it is also the fact that it still could not function under certain difficult circumstances. We have to prepare for any sort of situation. So that is what we have to improve over the next five years."

21. Mid of the car monitor showing a CG image of the passing car on the right

JAPAN: TOYOTA ROBOT

SOURCE: AP TELEVISION

RESTRICTIONS: TECHNOLOGY CLIENTS ONLY

TOYOTA HANDOUT RESTRICTIONS: ALL MATERIALS ARE FOR PERSONAL OR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS PROHIBITED

LENGTH: 2.42

SHOTLIST:

AP Television

Yokohama, Japan - July 24, 2015

1. Toyota's human support robot (HSR) moving at an exhibition of health care technology in Yokohama

2. Close up of a tablet device controlling HSR

3. Close up of a hand of HSR

4. Close up of Toyota's logo

5. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Kouichi Ikeda, Toyota engineer:

"Cars bring together various technologies, such as the chassis, steering and engine. Robots also contain various technologies in one package, such as sensor recognition, mobility, control, arm manipulation. And so that's what they have in common,"

6. Visitors watching a demonstration

7. Mid of HSR

8. Close up of HSR's face

9. Mid of HSR's arm and a controller

10. HSR grasping the controller

11. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Kouichi Ikeda, Toyota engineer:

"Although it can only do one simple task of picking up, it's already making disabled people quite happy. We're just getting stated, but eventually we want it to enter people's homes."

Toyota Handout - All materials are for personal or editorial use only. The use of these materials for advertising, marketing or any other commercial purpose is prohibited

12. Various of demonstration by HSR

AP Television

Yokohama, Japan - July 24, 2015

13. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Tadashi Hatakenaka, manager and engineer at the Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre:

"People tend to hesitate to ask for help from human helpers and service dogs because they have emotions, but people don't need to respect a robot's feelings, so they can ask robots to do things whenever they want and robots can react to it quickly. That is a big advantage. Because of the reasons above, HSR will be useful in the future."

14. Wide of HSR

15. Close up of a hand of HSR

LEADIN:

Carmaker Toyota has unveiled its latest robot, designed specifically to pick things up.

The company's human support robot or HSR was on display at the exhibition of health care technology in Yokohama, southwest of Tokyo.

STORYLINE:

This is Toyota's new robot that glides around like an R2-D2. It's devoted to a single task - picking things up.

HSR, short for "human support robot," comes with a single mechanical arm that can not only grasp things of various shapes and sizes, but also pick up thinner items with a tiny suction cup.

It doesn't have other tricks on its repertoire, except it has a computer panel on its head for surfing the Internet. A person can also access it from another computer and use it like a camera-phone.

Toyota engineer, Kouichi Ikeda is showing how HSR can be controlled relatively easily by tapping on a tablet device, to fetch a TV remote-controller.

The 135 centimetre (four-foot-four) tall robot has several cameras, including two on its head that look like its eyes, and sensors on its body. It scoots quietly around in all directions.

Unlike the robotic arms at auto-assembly plants, HSR's grip and bumps are designed to be soft they can't hurt anyone. But it can pick up items that weigh up to 1.2 kilograms (2.6 pounds).

There was no attempt to make its design cute, like the Pepper childlike robot that recently went on sale in Japan from Japanese Internet company Softbank Corp.

Toyota has long been working on robots, including a human-shaped one with fingers dexterous enough to play the trumpet. Another plays the violin.

All of them have a long way to go before they become as popular as the company's cars like the Camry or the Prius. But Toyota sees robotics as an important part of its work in innovation.

"Cars bring together various technologies, such as the chassis, steering and engine. Robots also contain various technologies in one package, such as sensor recognition, mobility, control, arm manipulation. And so that's what they have in common," says Ikeda.

Ikeda is serious about using the robot to help around regular homes - first people with disabilities, and then for the elderly in general.

Picking up is especially challenging for people with spinal disorders and other ailments that hamper the ability to bend down and grab, he says.

"Although it can only do one simple task of picking up, it's already making disabled people quite happy. We're just getting stated, but eventually we want it to enter people's homes."

Nearly 40 percent of Japan's population will be 65 or older by 2060, and with the rest of the world following that track, Toyota is banking on the demand for robot helpers to grow.

A robot like HSR is ideal to replace service dogs, which go through special training to help people with various disabilities.

Manager and engineer at the Yokohama Rehabilitation Centre, Tadashi Hatakenaka says: "People tend to hesitate to ask for help from human helpers and service dogs because they have emotions, but people don't need to respect a robot's feelings, so they can ask robots to do things whenever they want and robots can react to it quickly. That is a big advantage. Because of the reasons above, HSR will be useful in the future."

Toyota came up with the basic concept model for HSR in 2012.

The revamped model was announced this month and is ready to enter universities, research facilities and businesses from next year.

They'll work in partnership to develop more applications, so the robot can enter homes as quickly as possible.

One drawback is cost. Mass production is needed for the price to come down. Toyota declined to give the current price.

====

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com.

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

SHOTLIST

AP TELEVISION

Nagoya - 2 February 2010

1. Wide of news conference

2. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Shinichi Sasaki, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Corporation

"I apologise to the users of the particular cars (recalled) and our customers across the world for anxiety and concern due to the recall which took place in the United States, Europe and China because of the inconvenient condition of the gas pedal."

3. Various of media

4. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Shinichi Sasaki, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Corporation

"The internal quality control is, of course, most important to regain trust from the customers. But, we also think we need to deal with the problems, if they generate, quickly and spontaneously so as not to betray the trust from our customers. Thus, we decided to recall swiftly and we think this is the best way not to betray the trust of our customers. "

5. Wide of news conference

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION VNR

FILE: Nagoya - October 2008

6. Various of Toyota models being built at Toyota Tsutsumi Plant

7. Various of the cars at the plant

STORYLINE

A Toyota executive on Tuesday said there were no electronic problems in vehicles being recalled in the United States for a gas pedal problem, and that the earlier recall for floor mats was "totally unrelated" to the pedal problem.

Toyota Motor Corporation Executive Vice President Shinichi Sasaki, who oversees quality control at the Japanese automaker, said there was a perception the company was slow in responding to the gas pedal problem but it had made finding a solution the priority.

Although the recalls were announced on January 21, it was not until Monday that a US executive appeared in public to outline details of what had to be fixed.

Speaking in the first public address in Japan, Sasaki apologised to customers and promised to win back their trust.

On Monday, the company released details of a remedy to the gas pedal problem, saying a piece of steel about the size of a postage stamp would fix the fault that led to the recall of (m) millions of cars.

The company said repairs would take about half an hour and would start in a matter of days.

Toyota insisted the solution, rolled out six days after it temporarily stopped selling some of its most popular models, had been through rigorous testing and would solve the problem for the life of the car.

The repair involves installing a steel shim a couple of millimeters thick in the pedal assembly, behind the top of the gas pedal, to eliminate the excess friction between two pieces of the accelerator mechanism.

In rare cases, Toyota says, that friction can cause the pedal to become stuck in the depressed position.

Toyota said car owners would be notified by mail and told to set up appointments with their dealers.

It said cars already on the road would get priority over those on the lot.

The recall covered 4.2 (m) million cars worldwide and 2.3 (m) million in the United States, including some of Toyota''s best-selling models, such as the Camry and Corolla.

It has recalled (m) millions more because of floor mats that can catch the gas pedal.

Toyota would not give an estimated cost for the repair work, but estimated repairing all the recalled cars would take months.

Besides (m) millions of dollars a day in lost sales, the recall posed a public-relations challenge to Toyota, which for decades has enjoyed a loyal customer base and a reputation for quality.

SHOTLIST

AP Television

Nagoya - 4 February 2009

1. Various of job seekers at job centre

2. Set up shot of Masami Kawajiri, Hellowork Toyota

3. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Masami Kawajiri, Hellowork Toyota:

"The number of new job seekers has jumped by about 46 percent compared to the last year, while new job offers went down by about 50 percent."

4. Various of job seekers at job centre

5. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Vox Pop, name not given, former kindergarten teacher:

"There are always lots of people here (at the job centre). I guess the situation is pretty tough."

6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Katsuhide Maeda, Laid off from factory supplying parts to Toyota:

"I am seeking a job from the beginning of this month."

7. Various exteriors of Toyota Honsha Plant

Toyota Motor Corporation VNR

FILE: Nagoya - October 2008

8. Various of Toyota Prius being built at Toyota Tsutsumi Plant

AP Television

Nagoya - 4 February 2009

9. Set up shot of Shoji Sawahira, Tax division, Toyota Motor Corporation

10. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Shoji Sawahira, Tax division, Toyota Motor Corporation:

"To be honest, we have never experienced such a situation in the past. Even at the time of the oil shock and when the bubble economy burst, the damage was about 10 (b) billion yen (100 (m) million US dollars). With the size of this decline (in tax income), we expect the impact to be massive, worth 40 (b) billion yen (400 (m) million US dollars)."

AP Television

FILE: Tokyo - Recent

11. Various of Toyota booth at Tokyo motor show

12. Various of Lexus cars lined up

STORYLINE

Japanese carmaker Toyota on Friday afternoon announced its latest sales figures, showing a loss for the fiscal third quarter and forecasting more red ink for the full year at a 350 (b) billion yen (3.85 (b) billion US dollar) net loss.

The numbers released on Friday showed that even the world's biggest automaker is not immune to the effects of the global slump.

Toyota Motor Corporation racked up a loss of 164.7(b) billion yen (1.81 (b) billion US dollars) for the October-December period.

The company blamed tumbling auto sales, especially in the US and Europe, and the strong yen, which depreciates its overseas earnings.

In Nagoya, in central Japan, the fall in the carmaker's fortunes are making themselves felt.

Nagoya is home to Toyota city, where 11 out of 15 of the companies domestic plants are located, making the city's economy and employment totally dependent on Toyota and its related industries.

At the job centre, hundreds of people have come to seek employment since last autumn as the company began to report its loss in profit and sales.

The latest figures show a cruel twist of fate for the automaker which had just dethroned General Motors Corporation (GM) as the world's top automaker in global vehicle sales last year - a position the US automaker had held for 77 years.

In the autumn Toyota announced its plan to lay off nine-thousand part-time workers, and the number of job seekers has nearly doubled since then.

Katsuhide Maeda, 24-years-old, is one of them. He was laid off last October from his job at a factory supplying parts to Toyota.

It is not only the unemployed which casts its shadow over the city.

Shoji Sawahira, of Toyota's tax division, estimates that Nagoya will lose about one third of its total tax income, 40 (b) billion Japanese yen (400 (m) million US dollars), in the coming year, due to the decline in the corporate tax from Toyota and its related companies.

Toyota is already projecting its first operating loss in 70 years of 150 (b) billion yen (1.69 (b) billion US dollars) for the fiscal year ending March 31.

It had an operating profit of 2.27 (t) trillion yen a year earlier as Toyota's low-mileage models had sold briskly amid soaring petrol prices.

Toyota has said it's still expecting a small net profit for the fiscal year at 50 billion yen.

But speculation has been growing that it can't avert a net loss, given the serious drop in sales.

Even then, Toyota surpassed Detroit-based GM in global vehicles sales last year.

Toyota sold 8.972 (m) million vehicles around the world in 2008, down 4 percent from 2007, and its first on-year drop in a decade. GM suffered an 11 percent global sales fall at 8.356 (m) million vehicles.

Jap/Eng/Nat

A new model American car from General Motors has gone on sale in Japan but it's being marketed by the Japanese car giant Toyota.

This unusual alliance between two of the world's biggest car makers is part of a campaign to increase the American company's share of the tightly regulated Japanese auto market.

'The Cavalier' is more than just a car, it's a ground-breaking marketing experiment.

This brand new model is the result of an unusual alliance between two of the largest car makers in the world - America's General Motors and Japan's Toyota.

The debut of the Cavalier follows a November 1993 agreement

between Toyota and General Motors to market G-M cars in Japan.

General Motors is lagging well behind in the fight for U-S auto imports into Japan.

The Cavalier's release comes just six months after the auto trade dispute between the two countries in which the U-S sought greater access to the tightly regulated Japanese car market.

It has been designed as a sedan and as a coupe, with its retail price ranging from one-point-81 (m) million yen (U-S 17,240 dollars) to two-point-zero-five (m) million yen (U-S 19,500 dollars).

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We really noticed you know the way they (Americans) make cars is

quite different, especially this (Cavalier) design is quite different of any Toyota car and now in Japan consumer demand is different."

SUPER CAPTION: Naoto Fuse, Toyota

"The Cavalier" is the first General Motors sedan and coupe to be sold in Japan with the steering wheel on the right-hand side.

Toyota hopes this will be an added attraction for Japanese car buyers.

G-M hopes by selling the car under the Toyota name it will help the company increase its Japanese market share as well as improving General Motor's image in Japan.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"This is more or less a political reason. When Toyota decided to

develop the Cavalier in 1993, the Japanese market was facing quite

an urgent need to open their market to improve the market size of

imports. So Toyota took leadership as the largest auto maker in

Japan and responsibility to improve the Japanese import market.

SUPER CAPTION: Takaki Nakanishi, Auto analyst, Merrill Lynch

Dozens of customers visited an exhibit in Yokohama, just outside

Tokyo, for the Cavalier's debut.

Potential buyers gave the car the once over, examining the body, sitting in the driver's seat and carefully studying the dashboard area.

Their reaction was mixed.

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)

"They (Toyota) say it's an American car with a Toyota badge. That

is not enough for us. We want to know more good things about this

car."

SUPER CAPTION: Takayuki Morita, Car owner.

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)

"The shift lever looks cheap although I find the price of two (m) million yen (U-S 20-thousand dollars) a bit too expensive."

SUPER CAPTION: Kotaro Matsuo, Car owner

SOUNDBITE: (Japanese)

"The design is good. It's a cute car and I find it good overall."

SUPER CAPTION: Yukako Sakakibara, Car owner.

If the joint venture succeeds, Toyota hopes to sell 20-thousand new Cavalier models annually through its 11- hundred sales outlets across the nation.

Yokohama, Tokyo 20th January 1996.

1. WS new American made Toyota Cavalier.

2. CU interior.

3. CU price badge.

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Naoto Fuse, Toyota.

5. Cavalier being road tested in the U-S- Toyota video

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Takaki Nakanishi, Auto analyst, Merrill Lynch.

7. Various of public looking at Cavalier.

8. VOXPOP: (Japanese)Takayuki Morita, Car owner

9. VOXPOP: (Japanese) Kotaro Matsuo, Car owner

10. VOXPOP: (Japanese) Yukako Sakakibara, Car owner

11. Man inspects interior of Cavalier.

LEADIN:

Car maker Toyota's announced it's teaming up with giant online retailer Amazon, restaurant chain Pizza Hut and the taxi services Uber and DiDi to create a new market place with no dividing line separating our lives from online commerce.

The company says it's a game changer turning it from a car manufacturer, to an all-encompassing mobility experience.

STORYLINE:

This is the new e-Palette, which Toyota hopes will transform the way we live and work in a future where fewer people are actually driving cars.

It's a series of modular vehicles which can be anything from a workplace, to a retail outlet to a shared ride.

According to Toyota, the e-Palette's open interior design layout means it can be outfitted with purpose-built interiors in accordance with the user's needs, whether it be for parcel delivery, ride sharing, or on-the-road e-commerce.

Toyota unveiled it's vision of a new age of automation at the Consumer Electronics Show.

The corporation's President Akio Toyoda explains the concept:

"We want the car to be a seamless extension of your phone and computers, a kind of personal assistant on wheels able to anticipate your needs through predictive artificial intelligence. A new mobility service platform is also the engine behind our car sharing test market in Hawaii and San Francisco. In the future much of mobility on demand, or mobility as a service will be powered by autonomy, which in turn is supported by vehicle electrification. Today I am pleased to announce that some of the initial members of our e-Palette alliance includes Amazon, DiDi, Pizza Hut and Uber, Mazda will also be a partner for e-Palette supporting our electrification plans. We want to thank each of these companies for joining us on a new mobility journey."

The company is also teaming up with the car company Mazda who will be a partner in the e-Palette alliance.

Toyoda is keen to dispel any lingering doubts about whether the furture of cars is electric: "Today Toyota offers 37 electrified vehicle models in over 90 countries. By the early 2020s, we'll have more than ten battery electric vehicles available worldwide."

Toyoda revealed he'd learned to drive at the mature age of 51 so that he could understand car design better.

Joking with his audience, he quipped electrification was the only topic of interest around the world apart from the wedding of Prince Harry this year.

He says: "Now I realise that battery electric, or all electric vehicles are what everybody's talking about these days, that and Prince Harry's engagement (audience laughs), but what's not often mentioned today is that less than one per cent of all vehicles sold in the US are battery electric, so there's "

This last comment from a company which has spearheaded the use of electric vehicles for everyday use, is an important prod to the US market.

At the end of the presentation, it was time for a selfie:"Now before I go, I don't often get to hang out with a group such as yourselves. So I'm wondering if it will be okay taking a selfie with you, is that okay? "

The audience at CES clearly approves.

Toyota plans to conduct feasibility testing of the e-Palette Concept in various regions, including the US in the early 2020s.

It also hopes to be the mobility solution of choice at the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

CES, Las Vegas, US - 8 January 2017

1. Various of the new Toyota e-Palette

2. Wide zoom out of the live Toyota show at CES showing screen animations of how the e-Palette will be used

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation

"We want the car to be a seamless extension of your phone and computers, a kind of personal assistant on wheels able to anticipate your needs through predictive artificial intelligence. Our new mobility service platform is also the engine behind our car sharing test market in Hawaii and San Francisco. In the future much of mobility on demand, or mobility as a service will be powered by autonomy, which in turn is supported by vehicle electrification. Today, I am pleased to announce that some of the initial members of our e-Palette alliance includes Amazon, DiDi, Pizza Hut and Uber, Mazda will also be a partner for e-Palette supporting our electrification plans. We want to thank each of these companies for joining us on a new mobility journey."

4. Wide of screens at live Toyota show demonstrating how e-Palette will act as a mobile shop and showroom

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation

"Today Toyota offers 37 electrified vehicle models in over 90 countries. By the early 2020s, we'll have more than ten battery electric vehicles available worldwide."

6. Various of screens at live showing animations demonstrating how our transport can become our workspace, retail space and creating on demand cities

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation

"Now I realise that battery electric, or all electric vehicles are what everybody's talking about these days, that and Prince Harry's engagement (audience laughs), but what's not often mentioned is that today is that less than one per cent of all vehicles sold in the US are battery electric."

8. Wide of screens at Toyota's live showing how easily adaptable the e-Palette is

9. UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corporation ++Zoom out of Toyoda as he begins to take selfies of himself and the audience++

"Now before I go, I don't often get to hang out with a group such as yourselves. So I'm wondering if it will be okay taking a selfie with you (laughter) is that okay? (applause)."

10. Zoom out of the Toyota team at the end of the show

JAPAN TOYOTA ROBOT

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS/ VNR TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION

RESTRICTIONS: AP CLIENTS ONLY

LENGTH: 2:42

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS – AP CLIENTS ONLY

Tokyo, Japan – 22 November 2017

1. Tilt up of Kirobo Mini

UPSOUND (Japanese)

"My name is Kirobo"

2. Wide of Kirobo Mini speaking (inaudible) and gesturing

3. Side shot of Kirobo Mini

UPSOUND (Japanese)

"Oh wow, you've seen snow before!"

4. Wide of Kirobo Mini

5. Various close ups of Kirobo Mini's face - audible but what it says are just chopped bits of conversation

6. Wide of several Kirobo Mini on display

7. Various of many Kirobo Mini robots together on a table

8. Setup shot of Hisashi Kusuda, Toyota Motor Corp

9. SOUNDBITE (Japanese): Hisashi Kusuda, Toyota Motor Corp.

"The initial idea came from thinking of cars in an endearing form. Among so many industrial products, cars are one of the few products which we think of with endearment. Why is this? Cars react to our manoeuvring. Essentially, this is communication between people and cars. With our cars, we share our time, see the same scenery, share the same space and create memories. Through this, in a sense, cars are our partners. Cars can be partners for us to communicate with."

10. Right pan of lots of Kirobo Mini on display on a table

11. Mid shot of a Kirobo Mini sitting in an opposite chair and wearing a seatbelt

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION HANDOUT VIDEO – AP CLIENTS ONLY

12. Various of TOTOTA handout video showing Kirobo Mini interacting with children

LEADIN:

A new miniature robot from Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp has gone on sale at Toyota's showrooms across the country (Wednesday 22nd November).

Kirobo Mini has limited skills, but can chatter in a high-pitched voice.

The idea of companion robots is already widely accepted in Japan.

STORYLINE:

This Miniature android is the latest gadget created by the Japanese car maker Toyota.

UPSOUND (Japanese)

"My name is Kirobo"

Kirobo Mini is a simplified and smaller version of the Kirobo robot, a talking humanoid designed by Tomotaka Takahashi, which went into space in 2013.

Kirobo Mini, at 10 centimetres (4 inches) when seated, fits on a person's palm.

It can't do any heavy lifting, but it's designed to be a mascot-like companion, raising both its arms in a greeting when it detects an approaching smiling face.

The 39,800-yen ($390) doll-like Kirobo Mini — whose name comes from "kibo" (hope) and "robot" — supposedly has the intelligence of a 5-year-old.

UPSOUND (Japanese)

"Oh wow, you've seen snow before!"

Hisashi Kusuda, Toyota Motor Corp., says the initial idea came from recognising that cars are one of the products in our lives that we treat with endearment because we share so much with them. So much so that they can be thought of as partners.

"The initial idea came from thinking of cars in an endearing form. Among so many industrial products, cars are one of the few products which we think of with endearment. Why is this? Cars react to our manoeuvring. Essentially, this is communication between people and cars. With our cars, we share our time, see the same scenery, share the same space and create memories. Through this, in a sense, cars are our partners. Cars can be partners for us to communicate with."

Kirobo Mini comes equipped with a camera, microphone and Bluetooth, and connects to a smartphone, which needs to be installed with a special software application. It turns its head toward a voice, although sometimes that function fails as its voice recognition is far from perfect.

The robot is not equipped with face recognition technology, and so it cannot recognise different people.

The idea is one Kirobo Mini per person, according to Toyota. The idea of companion robots is already widely accepted in Japan.

No overseas sales are planned so far, but the gadget is now available at Toyota's showrooms across Japan.

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