LEAD IN:

Toyota is returning to rally car racing with the debut of a Yaris WRC to compete in next year's World Rally Championship (WRC) series.

The car maker is also teaming up with Microsoft to open the Toyota Research Institute.

STORY-LINE:

Revving back on to the World Rally Championship (WRC) stage, this is the car Toyota is hoping will help race ahead of the competition.

The Yaris WRC will make its debut in the 2017 World Rally Championship as the Toyota Gazoo Racing team.

Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, made the announcement at the Paris Motor Show.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to introduce Toyota's new WRC Yaris which will debut in next year's WRC series race. It's been 17 long years since we competed in WRC. So I guess you could say we are well rested," he says.

Toyota is collaborating with software giant Microsoft , which is supporting the racing project.

Information gathered from the racing car's performance will be used to enhance other vehicle projects.

The two companies have worked together previously collecting data through the Toyota Connected company.

They will now collaborate and form the Toyota Research Institute.

"We are indeed very happy to have Microsoft on our team in a quest to make ever better cars. With 100 million Toyotas on the road today, to me the true benefit of selling all those cars is that we can study and learn from them in order to one day totally eliminate automobile accidents and fatalities. That is one of our primary goals at the newly formed Toyota Research Institute. Its mission: to reach the next frontier in mobility. Or to put it another way: to boldly go where no car has gone before," says Toyoda.

Toyota also announced that it is working to develop driverless car technology and will be concentrating on two different modes of autonomy: chauffer mode and guardian mode.

Paris, France - 29 September 2016

1. Wide of Toyota presentation with WRC (World Rally Championship) Yaris driving on stage

2. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation walking on stage

UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to introduce Toyota's new WRC Yaris which will debut in next year's WRC series. It's been 17 long years since we competed in WRC. So I guess you could say we are well rested."

3. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation on stage

UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"It's wonderful to be here in Europe, the centre of automotive racing with a heritage and brand I've long admired. A racing fan myself, nothing gives me greater pleasure than test driving one of the vehicles like this new Yaris built right here in France."

4. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation on stage

UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"Microsoft has been an investor in our data analytics company Toyota Connected, making them more than just a software supplier. We are indeed very happy to have Microsoft on our team in a quest to make ever better cars. With 100 million Toyotas on the road today, to me the true benefit of selling all those cars is that we can study and learn from them in order to one day totally eliminate automobile accidents and fatalities. That is one of our primary goals of the newly formed Toyota Research Institute. Its mission: to reach the next frontier in mobility. Or to put it another way: to boldly go where no car has gone before."

5. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation on stage

UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"Though not widely known, Toyota has been working on the development of autonomous cars for many years now. The team will be building on this foundation, developing two kinds of autonomy : chauffer mode and guardian mode.

6. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation on stage with Yaris

LEAD IN:

Toyota is returning to rally car racing with the debut of a Yaris WRC to compete in next year's World Rally Championship (WRC) series.

The car maker is also teaming up with Microsoft to open the Toyota Research Institute.

STORY-LINE:

Revving back on to the World Rally Championship (WRC) stage, this is the car Toyota is hoping will help race ahead of the competition.

The Yaris WRC will make its debut in the 2017 World Rally Championship as the Toyota Gazoo Racing team.

Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, made the announcement at the Paris Motor Show.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to introduce Toyota's new WRC Yaris which will debut in next year's WRC series race. It's been 17 long years since we competed in WRC. So I guess you could say we are well rested," he says.

Toyota is collaborating with software giant Microsoft , which is supporting the racing project.

Information gathered from the racing car's performance will be used to enhance other vehicle projects.

The two companies have worked together previously collecting data through the Toyota Connected company.

They will now collaborate and form the Toyota Research Institute.

"We are indeed very happy to have Microsoft on our team in a quest to make ever better cars. With 100 million Toyotas on the road today, to me the true benefit of selling all those cars is that we can study and learn from them in order to one day totally eliminate automobile accidents and fatalities. That is one of our primary goals at the newly formed Toyota Research Institute. Its mission: to reach the next frontier in mobility. Or to put it another way: to boldly go where no car has gone before," says Toyoda.

Toyota also announced that it is working to develop driverless car technology and will be concentrating on two different modes of autonomy: chauffer mode and guardian mode.

Paris, France - 29 September 2016

1. Wide of Toyota presentation with WRC (World Rally Championship) Yaris driving on stage

2. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation walking on stage

UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I am pleased to introduce Toyota's new WRC Yaris which will debut in next year's WRC series. It's been 17 long years since we competed in WRC. So I guess you could say we are well rested."

3. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation on stage

UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"It's wonderful to be here in Europe, the centre of automotive racing with a heritage and brand I've long admired. A racing fan myself, nothing gives me greater pleasure than test driving one of the vehicles like this new Yaris built right here in France."

4. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation on stage

UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"Microsoft has been an investor in our data analytics company Toyota Connected, making them more than just a software supplier. We are indeed very happy to have Microsoft on our team in a quest to make ever better cars. With 100 million Toyotas on the road today, to me the true benefit of selling all those cars is that we can study and learn from them in order to one day totally eliminate automobile accidents and fatalities. That is one of our primary goals of the newly formed Toyota Research Institute. Its mission: to reach the next frontier in mobility. Or to put it another way: to boldly go where no car has gone before."

5. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation on stage

UPSOUND: (English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"Though not widely known, Toyota has been working on the development of autonomous cars for many years now. The team will be building on this foundation, developing two kinds of autonomy : chauffer mode and guardian mode.

6. Wide of Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation on stage with Yaris

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot of hybrid car rally outside the Los Angeles Convention Centre

2. Mid shot of hybrid cars lined up outside convention centre

3. Close shot of hybrid car logo

4. Close shot of woman putting sign on hybrid car

5. Close shot of woman in hybrid car, tilt down to close shot of sign

6. Close shot of another sign on hybrid car

7. Tilt down from convention centre to hybrid car.

8. Mid shot of hybrid cars

9. Close shot of sign on windshield.

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Richard Wegner, hybrid car owner:

"Well....economy. I mean absolutely, I mean if you need an incentive that's the best incentive. I mean, the amount that I'm saving in gas on this car, compared to like an SUV (sport utility vehicle), is making the payments. So it's like a car for free."

11. Tilt down from convention centre to Union of Concerned Scientists banner.

12. Close shot of license plate.

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jason Mark, Clean Vehicles Programme director, Union of Concerned Scientists:

"The hybrids are without a doubt here and now and ready to go. Folks are spending a lot of money investing in fuel-cell vehicles, which are sort of what most people agree are the technology to replace the internal combustion engine of today. But the hybrid vehicles are an excellent bridge. They're the technology that for the next couple of decades is really going to get us to that big scale fuel cell future."

14. Wide shot of Honda hybrid car display at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.

15. Close shot of Honda hybrid car display sign.

16. Wide shot of Honda fuel cell vehicle.

17. Close shot of Honda fuel cell vehicle.

18. Close shot of Honda fuel cell car display.

19. Mid shot of Toyota Prius hybrid car.

20. Close shot of Toyota Prius engine.

21. Wide shot of Ford display showing PZEV low-emissions vehicle.

22. Close shot of PZEV exhaust pipe.

23. Close shot of PZEV.

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Jason Mark, Clean Vehicles Programme director, Union of Concerned Scientists:

"The bottom line is that foreign automakers are making the case that not only can you capture market share and be very profitable, you can also bring green technologies to market. Detroit has got to get on board if they're going to be selling cars in this century, later in this century."

25. Mid shot of hybrid car rally.

STORYLINE:

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) says its time for major car makers to build more cars that pollute less and use less fuel.

A new study by the environmental group says US automakers could boost fuel efficiency and cut pollution by using hybrid technologies.

Members of the Union were in Los Angeles Friday, joined by local owners of hybrid cars urging automakers to offer more hybrid models.

They met outside the city's convention center where major auto makers are gathering for the annual Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.

Hybrid cars combine a fuel-efficient gas burning engine and an electric motor to power vehicles.

The UCS study says cars and trucks could reach an average fuel efficiency of 60 miles per gallon by the end of the next decade if automakers use the best available hybrid technologies.

Many of the local hybrid car owners on hand for the rally drive some of the first available models of their kind, from Toyota and Honda.

The Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Honda Civic models at the rally use versions of hybrid engine technology.

The Prius, for example, has an electric motor that takes over for the gas-powered engine at lower speeds. The battery for the electric motor is recharged by the the gas engine.

The cars produce fewer polluting gases and also average between 40 and 50 miles per gallon of gas.

Both Toyota and Honda have been the only car companies selling hybrid cars for several years.

Toyota alone has sold more than 120,000 since it introduced the Prius in 2000.

Honda sells its two-seat Insight and a hybrid version of its four-door Civic, with plans to roll out other hybrid models over the next few years.

Beyond the hybrid concept, Honda is developing a fuel cell car powered by hydrogen.

The Japanese automaker says their FCX model is the first fuel cell car to receive a government certification for commercial use.

And US automakers are starting to pay attention to this small but growing segment of the auto market.

Ford Motor Company has announced plans to launch a hybrid version of its Escape sport utility vehicle next year.

At the LA auto show, Ford also introduced the PZEV concept: a car designed to produce extremely low emissions.

General Motors is also gearing up to produce hybrid powered versions of its sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks.

Chrysler also plans to produce its first hybrid pick-up truck later this year.

But company officials are down playing hybrids, saying they're not a viable long-term commercial alternative.

Jason Mark at the Union of Concerned Scientists says hybrid technology is a viable bridge to fuel-cell powered cars that could some day replace the gas-burning engine.