SHOTLIST:

1. Wide then zoom in of "Robina" the robot, moving in zigzag motion on a stage

2. Close of Robina's body zooming out to a mid

3. Mid then zoom in of Robina taking a pen

4. Mid of Robina taking a notebook then writing its autograph

5. Close of Robina signing its name

6. Zoom in of Robina showing her autograph that it had just written on notebook

7. Cutaway of photographers

8. Wide of the "Violin Robot"

9. Close of violin robot showing the robot playing the violin, pan right, zoom out

10. A man riding the "Mobiro", a mobility robot, and greeting a woman who joins him on another Mobiro robot

11. Tilt up of man riding Mobiro

12. Close then tilt up of the man on Mobiro

13. Wide of two people on Mobiro waving their hands

14. Wide of press conference with Katsuaki Watanabe, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, standing at podium

15. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Katsuaki Watanabe, President of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"We have created robots in the past years, and our idea has been to establish a better relationship between robots and people. Robots should help and support human activities. I wish to see a huge development in robots for people and society so we hope to put that into real use soon."

16. Violin robot waving

STORYLINE:

Toyota unveiled three of its "partner robots" on Thursday, a showcase for their newest robotic technology.

'Robina', a legless robot-on-wheels, has since earlier this year been working as a guide in the showroom at Toyota's headquarters.

Her feminine voice introduces herself, talks about the company, and is extremely knowledgeable on Toyota cars.

In Thursday's demonstration, Robina interacted smoothly with a human, including carrying on a simple dialogue.

It also showed how it could sign its name in script, holding a fat felt-tip pen with its three fingers.

The second robot featured was "Violin Robot", which played Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance".

Compared to a human professional, its rendition was a trifle stilted and, well, robotic, though accurate.

The 152-centimetre (five-foot) tall all-white robot, used its mechanical fingers to push the strings correctly and bowed with its other arm, coordinating the movements well.

Katsuaki Watanabe, President of Toyota Motor Corporation, said robotics would become a core business for the company.

Toyota will test out its robots at hospitals, Toyota-related facilities and other places starting next year, he said. And the company hopes to put what it calls "partner robots" into use by 2010, he said.

Watanabe and other Toyota officials said robotics was a natural extension of the car maker's use of robots in manufacturing, as well the development of technology for autos related to artificial intelligence, such as sensors and pre-crash safety systems.

"We have created robots in the past years, and our idea has been to establish a better relationship between robots and people." Said Watanabe. " Robots should help and support human activities. I wish to see a vast development in robots for people and society so we hope to put that into real use soon."

Toyota Motor Corporation has already shown robots that roll around to work as guides and have fingers dexterous enough play the trumpet.

Watanabe presented a picture of the future, in which wheelchair-like "mobility robots," which Toyota also showed on Thursday, would offer "bed-to-bed" services to people, including the elderly and the sick, just like cars take people "door-to-door."

At the demonstration, two people showed up riding on the mobility robots and scooted around, waving to each other, on the moving two-wheeled chairs.

The Japanese automaker, which makes the Prius hybrid, the best-selling Camry sedan and Lexus luxury model, has been a latecomer in robots compared to its domestic rival Honda Motor Company.

Toyota said it was working with universities and its group companies to speed up robotics development, but ruled out a collaboration with Honda for the time being.

Other major Japanese companies, including Hitachi Limited, Fujitsu Limited and NEC Corporation, have developed robots.

Keyword wacky

SHOTLIST:

Los Angeles, California - Recent

1. Wide of Toyota Service Centre,

2. Close up of gas pedal jammed under floor mat

Washington, DC - Recent

3. Medium of pictures gas pedals,

4. Close up of mechanics repairing vehicle

New York City - Recent

5. Close up, vehicle control module

6. Medium of driver of Toyota Corolla

Washington, DC - 25 February, 2010

7. Medium of Toyota Executives testifying before Congress.

8. Close up of Toyota CEO, Akio Toyoda

9. SOUNDBITE: (English): Rep. Henry Waxman, D. California

"Do you believe that the recall on the carpet changes on the recall on the sticky pedal will solve the problem of sudden unintended acceleration?"

10. SOUNDBITE: (English): James Lentz, Toyota COO, North America

"Not totally."

Location unknown - Recent

11. Pan of Toyota Showroom

12. Close up of Toyota Prius Dashboard

Location unknown - Recent

13. SOUNDBITE: (English): Steve Kolenovic, Deputy Chairperson of Automotive Division at Technical Career Institutes.

"The vehicles today are equipped with anywhere from five to twenty or more computers. They''ll generally communicate with each other and any interference with communication can alter a signal and create a malfunction in various systems."

Location unknown - Recent

14. Close up of electronic testing device.

15. Close up of solder joins exhibiting "tin whiskers"

Washington, DC - Feb 17, 2010

16. SOUNDBITE: (English): Joan Claybrook - Former Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and DOT (Department of Transportation)

"If EMI is involved, it''s a real problem and almost every manufacturer, I believe, right now, is evaluating their vehicles to see if they have this kind of a problem."

Location unknown - Recent

17. Mid shot of electronics testing equipment

18. Medium of wiring harness being pulled from crate

Washington, DC - Recent

19. Tilt Down, exterior, Department of Transportation.

20. Medium of 2010 Ford Fusion

New York City - 12 Feb ,2010

21. Medium shot of Seyed Akhavi, Dean of Technology - Division of Engineering and Information Technologies, Technical Career Institutes

22. SOUNDBITE: (English): Seyed Akhavi, Dean of Technology - Division of Engineering and Information Technologies, Technical Career Institutes

"Since the chip operates on digital signals and zeros and ones, a pattern of sixteen bits which should be translated to let''s say go fast, or go slow or this much air. With a change from a zero to a one as the result of a glitch, that can be translated to a totally different code and as a result the car can behave totally different."

FILE: Location unknown - Recent

23. Close up Toyota Camry badge

24. Close up of Camry in showroom

Rehoboth, Mass. - Recent

25. SOUNDBITE: (English): Sean Kane, president of Safety Research and Strategies Inc. in

"In the case of Toyota unintended acceleration, the agency really only focused its resources on mechanical interface problems with these vehicles and I think that''s part of the reason we''ve got here today. The investigations were short, they were very cursory, and they relied too heavily on Toyota''s assertion that the problems associated with unintended acceleration could not happen from electronics "

Washington, DC - Feb. 24, 2010

26. Medium of NHTSA administrator, Ray LaHood, at Toyota hearings,

Washington, DC - Feb 17, 2010

27. SOUNDBITE: (English):Joan Claybrook - Former Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and DOT.

"Well I think that this is one of the problems that Department of Transportation has not kept pace with the technology changes that have occurred in vehicles. The accelerator standard right now was issued in 1973, before there was any such thing as electronic throttles, so its completely out of date, its almost irrelevant."

FILE: Location unknown - Recent

28. Toyota vehicle on display in dealership

29. Close shot of interior of vehicle

30. Close-up of break and accelerator pedals

31. Wide shot of Toyotas being serviced at service centre

LEAD IN

As Toyota blames poorly fitting floor mats and sticky gas pedals for the recall of millions of vehicles, the growing tangle of wires, sensors and computers is sill being scrutinised as the root cause of unintended acceleration in some automobiles.

Toyota executives have tried to answer those concerns before two United States congressional panels, and admitted that it is still unsure if current recalls will fix the problem.

STORYLINE

Toyota - a global name with a global problem.

And this is one of the problems recently identified - an accelerator pedal jammed under a floor mat.

The car manufacturing giant is now trying to restore public faith in their cars and trucks, which has been badly damaged by the recall of 8.5 million vehicles over safety concerns.

The recall has damaged Toyota''s reputation and the company is facing legal and PR problems on several fronts: a criminal investigation by federal prosecutors in New York; a probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission; and anger by U.S. dealerships in line to repair potentially millions of recalled vehicles.

Toyota is offering some customers new reimbursements for rental cars and other expenses.

Company lawyers are bracing for large numbers of death and injury lawsuits.

The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee plans a hearing Tuesday (2 March).

It follows the appearance on Thursday (25 February) of the President of Toyota at a US congressional hearing.

Akio Toyoda is the grandson of the Japanese company''s founder.

He apologised in prepared testimony for the safety problems and deaths that have been linked to unintended acceleration cases in Toyotas.

Toyoda admitted his company focused too much at times on expanding its sales in the United States at the expense of quality and safety.

A House committee chairman said blame must be shared by both Toyota and US safety regulators.

And while no one has been able to counter Toyota''s assertion that mechanical fixes will remedy acceleration issues, electronics have become increasingly complex.

And that is an area for concern.

Electronic problems can come in many forms, from solder that can sprout microscopic "whiskers" that can short components, to software bugs and electromagnetic fields generated from other electronic parts.

Steve Kolenovic, Deputy Chairperson of Automotive Division at Technical Career Institutes says there are numerous ways that car electronics can fail.

"The vehicles today are equipped with anywhere from five to twenty or more computers. they''ll generally communicate with each other and any interference with communication can alter a signal and create a malfunction in various systems."

Electronic glitches are notoriously difficult to find.

Imagine trying to isolate a short in this mass of wires, which came from just one vehicle.

It could be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Investigators are looking at the issue.

Joan Claybrook - Former Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and DOT says other manufacturers are checking to make they don''t have similar problems.

"If EMI (electro magnetic interference) is involved, its a real problem and almost every manufacturer, I believe, right now is evaluating their vehicles to see if they have this kind of a problem."

Seyed Akhavi, is Dean of Technology at the Division of Engineering and Information Technologies, Technical Career Institutes.

He explains the detail of the technology involved.

"since the chip operates on digital signals and zeros and ones, a pattern of sixteen bits that should be translated to let''s say go fast, or go slow or this much air. With a change from a zero to a one as the result of a glitch, that can be translated to a totally different code and as a result the car can behave totally different."

At least two lab tests have found electrical irregularities caused problems in a Lexus ES-350 and a Ford Fusion Hybrid.

While the tests don''t prove that the interference caused systems to malfunction, experts say they are evidence that it may be the culprit.

Sean Kane, president of Safety Research and Strategies Inc. in Rehoboth, Mass says :

"In the case of Toyota unintended acceleration, the agency really only focused its resources on mechanical interface problems with these vehicles and I think that''s part of the reason we''ve got here today."

Of more than 2,000 complaints of unwanted acceleration filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than half came from drivers of Toyotas that were not covered by the two acceleration recalls.

That brings into question the scope of the tests that have been done by NHTSA to identify the problem.

And with electronics so prevalent in today''s cars, there''s a growing chorus in Washington questioning whether NHTSA has the expertise to investigate electronics issues.

Joan Claybrook a former Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and US Department of Transport (DOT).

"Well I think that this is one of the problems that the Department of Transportation has not kept pace with the technology changes that have occurred in vehicles. The accelerator standard right now was issued in 1973, before there was any such thing as electronic throttles, so its completely out of date, its almost irrelevant."

Lawmakers say they will continue to push for answers on whether modern vehicles are safe as well as NHTSA''s capabilities to verify that.

But consumers will be seeking, much, much more. They want solid assurances that all cars are safe to drive.

The new car on the market.

The world's largest automaker says it aims to sell up to 400-thousand units globally a year of the new-look Prius.

Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company's founder, and the incoming president of Toyota Motor Corporation, drove the new model onto a stage at a packed Tokyo showroom.

He said the car was eco-friendly and that driving it had a similar impact on emission cuts as planting trees "across land 10 times the size of Tokyo".

Toyoda, 53, was tapped in January to take the helm at the world's biggest automaker, the first time in 14 years it has turned to the charisma of its founding roots for top leadership, mainly to bring employees and affiliates together and steer the automaker through deep troubles.

Both Toyoda's presence and new Prius are symbolic of Toyota Motor Corporation's pursuit of a turnaround from its worst annual loss since its 1937 founding.

The Prius, now in its third generation since its 1997 introduction, is the best-selling hybrid in the world, racking up a cumulative 1.256 (m) million units sold in more than 40 nations and regions.

But now Toyota faces a challenge from Honda Motor Co., whose more cheaply priced Insight has sold briskly since it was introduced in Japan in February.

In April, the Insight ranked as the top-selling vehicle in Japan, the first time a hybrid clinched that spot.

Toyota said its Japan prices for the Prius would start at 2.05 (m) million yen, or about 21,600 US dollars at current exchange rates, less than its predecessor model.

But in an unusual move aimed at competing against the Insight, Toyota also said it will continue to sell the current Prius in Japan, and cut its price.

It targets rental and corporate customers, and will sell for 1.89 (m) million yen, the same price as the Insight.

Toyota had already given the US prices for the 2010 Prius, starting at 22,000 US dollars, unchanged from the base price for the 2009 model.

It is also promising a more basic US model as well for later this year starting at 21,000 US dollars.

The new Prius gets a combined 50 miles per gallon (mpg), compared with 46 mpg for the 2009 model, according to Toyota.

Toyota is promising 38 kilometres per litre, which converts to 90 miles per gallon, in Japan, for the latest Prius.

Toshio Aritake, an auto analyst at the showroom in Tokyo called the Prius "very competitive."

SHOTLIST

Tokyo, May 18th

1. Zoom out from Prius logo to hybrid car, incoming president of Toyota Motor Corporation getting out of it and walking out on podium

2. Photographers

3. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Akio Toyoda, Incoming president of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"We contribute to ecology as it (Prius) has the same impact on emission cuts as planting trees would across land 10 times the size of Tokyo."

4. Auto analyst Toshio Aritake standing by car

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Toshio Aritake, Auto analyst:

"I think it's going to be very, very competitive in terms of pricing and whatever it has to offer. I haven't seen the inside yet. But it looks extremely competitive, and that's something no other manufacturers at this time can match in terms of quality and pricing."

6. Close of hybrid logo

7. Wide of new Prius car

8. Close up of new Prius car's bonnet

9. Close of Toyota logo with hybrid synergy drive panel

10. Engine

LEADIN

Toyota has rolled out the revamped Prius in Tokyo.

The company's in confident mood, saying it already has 80-thousand advance orders in Japan for the remodelled hybrid, amid intensifying competition with Honda's rival offering the Insight.

SHOTLIST

1. Zoom out from Prius logo to hybrid car, incoming president of Toyota Motor Corporation getting out of it and walking out on podium

2. Photographers

3. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Akio Toyoda, Incoming president of Toyota Motor Corporation:

"We contribute to ecology as it (Prius) has the same impact on emission cuts as planting trees would across land 10 times the size of Tokyo."

4. Auto analyst Toshio Aritake standing by car

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Toshio Aritake, Auto analyst:

"I think it's going to be very, very competitive in terms of pricing and whatever it has to offer. I haven't seen the inside yet. But it looks extremely competitive, and that's something no other manufacturers at this time can match in terms of quality and pricing."

6. Close of hybrid logo

7. Wide of new Prius car

8. Close up of new Prius car's bonnet

9. Close of Toyota logo with hybrid synergy drive panel

10. Engine

STORYLINE:

Toyota rolled out the revamped Prius in Tokyo on Monday, and said it already had 80-thousand advance orders in Japan for the remodelled hybrid amid intensifying competition with Honda's rival offering, the Insight.

The world's largest automaker said it aims to sell up to 400-thousand units globally a year of the car.

Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the company's founder, and the incoming president of Toyota Motor Corporation, drove the new model onto a stage at a packed Tokyo showroom.

He said the car was eco-friendly and that driving it had a similar impact on emission cuts as planting trees "across land 10 times the size of Tokyo".

Toyoda, 53, was tapped in January to take the helm at the world's biggest automaker, the first time in 14 years it has turned to the charisma of its founding roots for top leadership, mainly to bring employees and affiliates together and steer the automaker through deep troubles.

Both Toyoda's presence and new Prius are symbolic of Toyota Motor Corporation's pursuit of a turnaround from its worst annual loss since its 1937 founding.

The Prius, now in its third generation since its 1997 introduction, is the best-selling hybrid in the world, racking up a cumulative 1.256 (m) million units sold in more than 40 nations and regions.

But now Toyota faces a challenge from Honda Motor Co., whose more cheaply priced Insight has sold briskly since it was introduced in Japan in February.

In April, the Insight ranked as the top-selling vehicle in Japan, the first time a hybrid clinched that spot.

Toyota said its Japan prices for the Prius would start at 2.05 (m) million yen, or about 21,600 US dollars at current exchange rates, less than its predecessor model.

But in an unusual move aimed at competing against the Insight, Toyota also said it will continue to sell the current Prius in Japan, and cut its price.

It targets rental and corporate customers, and will sell for 1.89 (m) million yen, the same price as the Insight.

Toyota had already given the US prices for the 2010 Prius, starting at 22,000 US dollars, unchanged from the base price for the 2009 model.

It is also promising a more basic US model as well for later this year starting at 21,000 US dollars.

The new Prius gets a combined 50 miles per gallon (mpg), compared with 46 mpg for the 2009 model, according to Toyota.

Toyota is promising 38 kilometres per litre, which converts to 90 miles per gallon, in Japan, for the latest Prius.

Toshio Aritake, an auto analyst at the showroom in Tokyo called the Prius "very competitive."

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide of stage showing new concept car and promotional video, AUDIO: music

2. Pan of concept car

3. Wide of stage showing concept car with its door display synching with video

4. Front view of car

5. Wide of Toyota President Akio Toyoda walking onto stage

6. Cutaway of reporters

7. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corp:

"We thought it would be fun to put a smartphone on four wheels. This idea led to the birth of Fun-Vii."

8. Rear view of concept car

9. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Akio Toyoda, President, Toyota Motor Corp:

"A car must appeal to our emotions. If it's not fun, it's not a car."

10. Presentation of car functions showing car recognising driver as Mr. J Smith and greeting driver

11. Close-up of touch-panel door, driver scrolling through options on panel and selecting Toyota icon which connects car to its closest dealer, UPSOUND (Japanese) concept car saying "We are connecting to your dealer"

12. Wide of car running diagnostics, UPSOUND (Japanese) concept car saying "All diagnostics are clear"

13. Close-up pan of car

14. Wide of Toyoda riding his "winglet", personal transport assistance robot built by Toyota

15. Cutaway of photographers

16. Close-up of Toyoda

17. Wide of Toyoda and concept car

STORYLINE:

Toyota unveiled a futuristic car in Tokyo on Monday - one with an entire side reminiscent of a giant touch-screen phone - to demonstrate how Japan's top automaker is trying to take the lead in technology.

The experimental Fun-Vii - which stands for Fun - Vehicle, interactive, internet - was being shown to the public for the first time.

Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, said: "We thought it would be fun to put a smartphone on four wheels. This idea led to the birth of Fun-Vii."

The company said the Fun-Vii was an example of what might be in the works in "20XX", giving no dates.

Like a scene out of a science fiction film, Toyota's presentation showed the Fun-Vii recognising and greeting its driver and running its own diagnostics.

The car works like a personal computer device and allows drivers to connect not only with dealers but with others, either with a tap of a touch-panel door, or through an in-car interface.

Drivers can also change the colour and design of the body which works as a display.

"A car must appeal to our emotions. If it's not fun, it's not a car", Toyoda told reporters at the presentation, which took place at a Toyota amusement-park facility.

Japan's automakers, already battered by years of sales stagnation, was hit by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami, which damaged supply chains in northeastern Japan, and forced them to cut back production.

The industry took yet another beating when it had to halt production due to floods in Thailand.

Toyota's stand is set to be a major attraction for the auto industry at the biannual Tokyo Motor Show, due to open to the public this weekend.

LEAD IN:

Eco-friendly rides and self-driving vehicles are stealing all the headlines at the annual Tokyo Motor Show in Japan.

Japanese auto makers Toyota, Honda and Lexus are all debuting new concept vehicles which embrace lower carbon technologies in comparison to traditional petrol engines.

STORY-LINE:

Automobiles are coming in all shapes and sizes at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan, on Toyota's stand they're even glowing like something out of a sci-fi movie.

On home soil, Toyota President Akio Toyoda introduced a collection of concept cars accompanied by popular Japanese Major League baseball player, Ichiro Suzuki.

"It is truly tough to compete in a global field. We need to meet many new challenges in order to survive," says the baseball player.

"Those are the thoughts when I am standing at the batter's box. I am curious to what sort of 'wow' Toyota will show us."

The Toyota president took the opportunity to declare the company's intention to play a leading role in the auto industry, wowing drivers in the process.

"Toyota will produce better and better cars and will make an effort towards realising an enjoyable mobility environment," says Toyoda.

"'What wows you' is to be brave and meet the challenge. We will always continue to stand in the batter's box to meet the challenges in the future. Let's do it together!"

The key concept car Toyota is unveiling this year is this new generation fuel cell vehicle called the 'Toyota FCV Plus'.

The vehicle has the capability to generate electricity by using hydrogen stored outside the vehicle.

That way, the car can function not only as a vehicle but also be used as a sort of portable power plant.

The automaker also unveiled this lightweight sports car concept called the 'Toyota S-FR'. Weighing only 980kg, it's designed for nimble driving.

Hans Greimel, an auto journalist who specialises in Asia's auto industry, says this year's motor show features a range of eco-themed cars.

"At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, you're going to see a lot of activities from Japanese makers in particular on their home turf coming out with new kinds of green cars, new environmentally friendly cars - everything from fuel cells, you'll have those from Honda and from Toyota, to electric vehicles which is just about represented by just about everybody here," he says.

"The other trend you're gonna see is autonomous driving trend, self-driving cars. All of the automakers are gonna have some kind of version of their vision for where that kind of self-driving car technology will go. And that's gonna be a centrepiece of the presentations here."

Volkswagen representatives used their presentation at the motor show to again apologise for the company's recent emissions scandal.

Despite none of the affected vehicles being sold in Japan, the company acknowledged the problems have "damaged Japanese trust" in the brand.

They also used the event to present the company's new Tiguan GTE concept car to Asian audiences.

Previously unveiled at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show, the concept is an SUV which boasts hybrid drive technology.

Volkswagen's CEO of Passenger Cars, Herbert Diess, says the car starts in full electric mode which has a range of 50 kilometres that will cover most daily drives.

"Depending on the amount of sunshine, it can be driven even further. That is because a solar module can contribute enough energy for an additional 1,000 kilometres per year," he says.

Honda claims their new Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle is the first production model to consolidate the fuel-cell power train under the vehicle's hood.

That means it allows spacious areas in the rest of the vehicle, something some previous fuel cell vehicles didn't deliver.

The Japanese automaker also showed the latest version of its NSX.

Originally introduced in 1990, the new version is a hybrid sports car which uses both petrol and electric power.

The NSX has been a popular sports car for the brand, many see this as a reflection of Honda's F1 race technology.

"This new NSX boasts the light weight body frame and with newly-developed twin-turbocharged V6 engines installed in the middle part of the car," says Takahiro Hachigo, the president and CEO of Honda Motor Co.

"This is a super sports car equipped with a three-motor hybrid system so that it can meet both demands, the fun of driving and good fuel mileage."

Nissan is showing off this 'Teatro for Dayz' concept car which boasts seats and surfaces that can be used to display videos and images. Passengers can enjoy playing games that surround them in the car.

The automaker's president and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, says the EV minicar resembles a digital gadget just as much a car.

Nissan also unveiled its other major concept called the 'IDS Concept', sharing its vision for future autonomous driving technology in the process.

This concept vehicle is loaded with laser scanners, a 360-degree camera setup, radar and computer technology that makes autonomous navigation possible.

Nissan plan to offer some autonomous driving features in its vehicles by the end of next year in Japan.

By 2018, the company says vehicles with the technology will be able to conduct lane changes on highways.

By 2020, such vehicles will be able to make their way through intersections on regular urban roads.

The IDS vehicle is also electric and can travel long distances on a single charge, also recharging quickly.

"I think it's empowering. It's empowering!" says Ghosn.

"When you're in an autonomous car, it's empowering because you switch on, you switch off. If you want to drive, you switch it off."

"If you don't want to drive, you're in the city, you're in a traffic jam, you receive a phone call, you need to have a conversation with somebody near you, you switch it on. It's empowering. I think that's great."

"That's why young people are going to love it, senior people are going to love it, families are going to love it, because it's going to give you more freedom to do whatever you want."

Lexus, Toyota's luxury car brand, is unveiling this stylish hybrid coupe concept called 'LF-FC'.

"We hope that with this design, drivers will experience a ride that is full of emotion and joy," says Lexus International President, Tokuo Fukuichi.

The original version was unveiled in 2012, but it's yet to go to market.

There was no confirmation given at this year's motor show whether the car will eventually be available commercially.

More than 70 different concept cars are being presented at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.

The event runs until 8 November.

LEAD IN:

Eco-friendly rides and self-driving vehicles are stealing all the headlines at the annual Tokyo Motor Show in Japan.

Japanese auto makers Toyota, Honda and Lexus are all debuting new concept vehicles which embrace lower carbon technologies in comparison to traditional petrol engines.

STORY-LINE:

Automobiles are coming in all shapes and sizes at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan, on Toyota's stand they're even glowing like something out of a sci-fi movie.

On home soil, Toyota President Akio Toyoda introduced a collection of concept cars accompanied by popular Japanese Major League baseball player, Ichiro Suzuki.

"It is truly tough to compete in a global field. We need to meet many new challenges in order to survive," says the baseball player.

"Those are the thoughts when I am standing at the batter's box. I am curious to what sort of 'wow' Toyota will show us."

The Toyota president took the opportunity to declare the company's intention to play a leading role in the auto industry, wowing drivers in the process.

"Toyota will produce better and better cars and will make an effort towards realising an enjoyable mobility environment," says Toyoda.

"'What wows you' is to be brave and meet the challenge. We will always continue to stand in the batter's box to meet the challenges in the future. Let's do it together!"

The key concept car Toyota is unveiling this year is this new generation fuel cell vehicle called the 'Toyota FCV Plus'.

The vehicle has the capability to generate electricity by using hydrogen stored outside the vehicle.

That way, the car can function not only as a vehicle but also be used as a sort of portable power plant.

The automaker also unveiled this lightweight sports car concept called the 'Toyota S-FR'. Weighing only 980kg, it's designed for nimble driving.

Hans Greimel, an auto journalist who specialises in Asia's auto industry, says this year's motor show features a range of eco-themed cars.

"At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, you're going to see a lot of activities from Japanese makers in particular on their home turf coming out with new kinds of green cars, new environmentally friendly cars - everything from fuel cells, you'll have those from Honda and from Toyota, to electric vehicles which is just about represented by just about everybody here," he says.

"The other trend you're gonna see is autonomous driving trend, self-driving cars. All of the automakers are gonna have some kind of version of their vision for where that kind of self-driving car technology will go. And that's gonna be a centrepiece of the presentations here."

Volkswagen representatives used their presentation at the motor show to again apologise for the company's recent emissions scandal.

Despite none of the affected vehicles being sold in Japan, the company acknowledged the problems have "damaged Japanese trust" in the brand.

They also used the event to present the company's new Tiguan GTE concept car to Asian audiences.

Previously unveiled at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show, the concept is an SUV which boasts hybrid drive technology.

Volkswagen's CEO of Passenger Cars, Herbert Diess, says the car starts in full electric mode which has a range of 50 kilometres that will cover most daily drives.

"Depending on the amount of sunshine, it can be driven even further. That is because a solar module can contribute enough energy for an additional 1,000 kilometres per year," he says.

Honda claims their new Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle is the first production model to consolidate the fuel-cell power train under the vehicle's hood.

That means it allows spacious areas in the rest of the vehicle, something some previous fuel cell vehicles didn't deliver.

The Japanese automaker also showed the latest version of its NSX.

Originally introduced in 1990, the new version is a hybrid sports car which uses both petrol and electric power.

The NSX has been a popular sports car for the brand, many see this as a reflection of Honda's F1 race technology.

"This new NSX boasts the light weight body frame and with newly-developed twin-turbocharged V6 engines installed in the middle part of the car," says Takahiro Hachigo, the president and CEO of Honda Motor Co.

"This is a super sports car equipped with a three-motor hybrid system so that it can meet both demands, the fun of driving and good fuel mileage."

Nissan is showing off this 'Teatro for Dayz' concept car which boasts seats and surfaces that can be used to display videos and images. Passengers can enjoy playing games that surround them in the car.

The automaker's president and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, says the EV minicar resembles a digital gadget just as much a car.

Nissan also unveiled its other major concept called the 'IDS Concept', sharing its vision for future autonomous driving technology in the process.

This concept vehicle is loaded with laser scanners, a 360-degree camera setup, radar and computer technology that makes autonomous navigation possible.

Nissan plan to offer some autonomous driving features in its vehicles by the end of next year in Japan.

By 2018, the company says vehicles with the technology will be able to conduct lane changes on highways.

By 2020, such vehicles will be able to make their way through intersections on regular urban roads.

The IDS vehicle is also electric and can travel long distances on a single charge, also recharging quickly.

"I think it's empowering. It's empowering!" says Ghosn.

"When you're in an autonomous car, it's empowering because you switch on, you switch off. If you want to drive, you switch it off."

"If you don't want to drive, you're in the city, you're in a traffic jam, you receive a phone call, you need to have a conversation with somebody near you, you switch it on. It's empowering. I think that's great."

"That's why young people are going to love it, senior people are going to love it, families are going to love it, because it's going to give you more freedom to do whatever you want."

Lexus, Toyota's luxury car brand, is unveiling this stylish hybrid coupe concept called 'LF-FC'.

"We hope that with this design, drivers will experience a ride that is full of emotion and joy," says Lexus International President, Tokuo Fukuichi.

The original version was unveiled in 2012, but it's yet to go to market.

There was no confirmation given at this year's motor show whether the car will eventually be available commercially.

More than 70 different concept cars are being presented at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.

The event runs until 8 November.

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo, Japan - 28 October 2015

1. Close of wheel of Toyota Motor Corp.'s concept car "FCV plus" on show at Tokyo Motor Show

2. Wide of FCV plus

3. Close of glowing ring on FCV plus

4. Wide of Toyota's world and Japan premiere vehicles on display

5. Close of Toyota's world and Japan premiere vehicle "SFR"

6. Wide of Ichiro Suzuki, American Major League Baseball Player, and Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Co., shaking hands onstage

7. Close of Suzuki and Toyoda onstage

8. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Ichiro Suzuki, American Major League Baseball Player:

"It is truly tough to compete in a global field. We need to meet many new challenges in order to survive. Those are the thoughts when I am standing at the batter's box. I am curious to what sort of 'wow" Toyota will show us."

9. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese/English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Co.:

"Toyota will produce better and better cars and will make an effort towards realising an enjoyable mobility environment. 'What wows you' is to be brave and meet the challenge. We will always continue to stand in the batter's box to meet the challenges in the future. Let's do it together!"

10. Various of Hans Greimel, Automotive News, Asia Editor, looking at car at Tokyo Motor Show

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hans Greimel, Automotive News, Asia Editor:

"At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, you're going to see a lot of activities from Japanese makers in particular on their home turf coming out with new kinds of green cars, new environmentally friendly cars - everything from fuel cells, you'll have those from Honda and from Toyota, to electric vehicles which is just about represented by just about everybody here. The other trend you're gonna see is autonomous driving trend, self-driving cars. All of the automakers are gonna have some kind of version of their vision for where that kind of self-driving car technology will go. And that's gonna be a centrepiece of the presentations here."

12. Wide of Sven Stein, Representative Director, Volkswagen Group Japan (left) and Herbert Diess, Volkswagen's CEO Passenger Cars brand (right) unveiling Tiguan GTE concept car with solar roof

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Herbert Diess, Volkswagen's CEO Passenger Cars brand:

"Depending on the amount of sunshine, it can be driven even further. That is because a solar module that can contribute enough energy for an additional 1,000 kilometres per year."

14. Wide of Diess standing in front of concept car while detailing safety features

UPSOUND: (English) "And it is precisely this type of progress that makes the Tiguan a Volkswagen."

15. Various of Stein and Diess posing for photographs next to Tiguan GTE concept car

16. Various of Honda's concept car "Clarity"

17. Wide of Takahiro Hachigo, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., walking onstage

18. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Takahiro Hachigo, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co.:

"This new NSX boasts the light weight body frame and with newly-developed twin-turbocharged V6 engines installed in the middle part of the car. This is a super sports car equipped with a three-motor hybrid system so that it can meet both demands, the fun of driving and good fuel mileage."

19. Various of Honda's NSX

20. Close of Nissan's concept car "Teatro for Dayz"

21. Wide of Nissan Teatro

22. Close of car dashboard

23. Close of dashboard graphics

24. Wide of Nissan Teatro interior with doors wide open showing LED panels changing designs of interior

25. Wide of Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., speaking onstage at presentation

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co.:

"Above all, they want a car to be a versatile tool for self-expression and connecting with friends just like a smart phone."

27. Wide of Nissan's "IDS" autonomous car

28. Pull out of Nissan's "IDS"

29. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co.:

"I think it's empowering. It's empowering! When you're in an autonomous car, it's empowering because you switch on, you switch off. If you want to drive, you switch it off. If you don't want to drive, you're in the city, you're in a traffic jam, you receive a phone call, you need to have a conversation with somebody near you, you switch it on. It's empowering. I think that's great. That's why young people are going to love it, senior people are going to love it, families are going to love it, because it's going to give you more freedom to do whatever you want."

30. Wide of Lexus's world premiere vehicle LF-FC driving onstage

31. Pan left from photographer to car

32. Pull focus of Lexus logo

33. Wide of Lexus's world premiere vehicle LF-FC

34. Close of LF-FC rear

35. Close of markings, reading (English): 'Fuel Cell' on LF-FC

36. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Tokuo Fukuichi, Lexus International President:

"We hope that with this design, drivers will experience a ride that is full of emotion and joy."

37. Tilt down to Tokyo Motor Show floor

38. Wide of motor show floor

39. Long shot of visitors walking through motor show

Electric cars and fuel cell vehicles leapt into the limelight at Tokyo's auto show on Wednesday, reflecting the accelerating shift towards greener vehicles.

Over 400 foreign and domestic vehicles were on display at the biennial Tokyo Motor Show, which hosts over 30 Japanese and foreign automakers as well as dozens of parts makers and industry related exhibitors.

Earlier Wednesday, Nissan unveiled 3 new vehicles at its presentation.

One is the eye-catching all-electric "BladeGlider," a three-seater vehicle that is designed with aerodynamics in mind and is powered by a lithium ion battery.

Nissan also unveiled the IDx Nismo and IDx Freeflow.

While Nissan increases its lineup of green vehicles, President and CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that the company will aim to also introduce self-driving vehicles by 2020.

"We asked ourselves, what if we could reduce accidents? What if we could develop technology that significantly reduced energy consumption and traffic jams? What if you could make driving stress-free?," he said.

"We have committed to turn those 'what-ifs' into 'what is' by 2020, with the introduction of an affordable autonomous drive vehicle. Our goal is to expand the availability of this new technology across the model range, within two subsequent vehicle generations."

Meanwhile, Toyota concept sedan FCV offers a glimpse of what consumers could expect from fuel cell cars in the not so distant future.

Toyota plans to mass market fuel-cell vehicles in 2015.

Another concept, the sleek Fun Vehicle 2 (FV2), does away with the conventional steering wheel and is controlled by the driver's body movements instead.

"The future society which we envision is filled with the smiles of our customers. And we hope that what sustains those smiles, will be cars. Here at Toyota, our motto is "Fun to drive again." said Toyota Vice President, Mitsuhisa Kato.

Honda rolled out 6 world premiere vehicles, including the hybrid sports car NSX and the S660 convertible concept that revisits one of its popular cars from the 1960s.

This year's show marks a turnaround for automakers from the previous show in 2011, which was held only 8 months after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

At the time, major automakers were forced to suspend production as factories and parts suppliers were hit by the earthquake and tsunami, causing serious supply chain disruptions.

Tokyo Motor Show opens to the public on Saturday November 23rd and runs until Sunday December 1st.

++PRELIMINARY SCRIPT - FULL STORY TO FOLLOW++

AP TELEVISION

1. Mid of Carlos Ghosn, Nissan CEO, driving on to stage in Nissan IDx Freeflow, and getting out

2. Wide of Ghosn on stage

3. Mid of Ghosn on stage alongside Nissan IDx Nismo

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlos Ghosn, CEO, Nissan Motor Corporation:

"We asked ourselves, what if we could reduce accidents? What if we could develop technology that significantly reduced energy consumption and traffic jams? What if you could make driving stress-free? We have committed to turn those 'what-ifs' into 'what is' by 2020, with the introduction of an affordable autonomous drive vehicle. Our goal is to expand the availability of this new technology across the model range, within two subsequent vehicle generations."

5. Pan across crowd taking photographs of Ghosn with car

6. Tilt up from crowd taking photographs to Ghosn

7. Wide of booths at Tokyo Motor Show

8. Mid of Toyota booth

9. Wide of unveiling of Toyota FCV Concept

10. Pan of headlights of Toyota FCV Concept

11. Mid of Toyota FCV Concept

12. Mid of Toyota FV2 being unveiled and opening up

13. Mid of Toyota JPN Taxi being unveiled

14. Wide of three new Toyota models, with Toyota Vice President Mitsuhisa kato walking on to stage

15. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Mitsuhisa Kato, Vice President, Toyota Motor Group:

"The future society which we envision is filled with the smiles of our customers. And we hope that what sustains those smiles, will be cars. Here at Toyota, our motto is (English) : "Fun to drive again."

16. Pan across Jaguar booth at Tokyo Motor Show

17. Mid of Honda booth with new NSX model

18. Pan inside Honda NSX

19. Tilt down Mitsubishi Motors booth to screens showing new models of cars

20. Mid of Mitsubishi AR

21. Wide of Mitsubishi Motors booth

LEAD IN:

200mph electric supercars and cars that park themselves with just a swish of their owner's wrist are just some of the latest hi-tech motors at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The auto industry is increasingly using the technology show to demonstrate its latest gadgets and advances.

STORY-LINE:

This futuristic looking electric supercar can reach speeds of up to 200mph according to its maker Faraday.

The single-seater Faraday FFZero1 features all of the latest hi-tech gadgetry expected in a car making its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Page Beermann, Exterior Design Chief of Faraday Future says: "This car is a technology test bed for us. We're exploring things like aerodynamics, chassis development, materials, as well as the design language."

For example, a smartphone can be embedded in the steering wheel to give the driver real-time data and can even be used to tune and alter the way the car is set-up.

The FFZero1 is the brainchild of California-based car maker Faraday Future and is strictly a concept for now... and even if it ever does go into production then you're unlikely to ever see one on the road.

"I envisage this as much more of like a track enthusiast's car. You know, someone that would probably not even drive it on the road," says Beermann.

The modular chassis design can be converted to make it longer or shorter - so various configurations can enable more battery packs to be added for greater range.

Although the FFZero1 might be a concept, Faraday is planning to build its first production cars within two years and is already being tipped as a rival for local electric car makers Tesla.

If 200mph supercars are a bit too much for your needs, then Chevrolet's new Bolt might make a more practical electric alternative.

The 2017 production model was also unveiled at CES - which is fast becoming an important platform for car makers to reinforce their technological credentials.

The Bolt is designed as an affordable long-range electric vehicle and the successor to Chevrolet's Volt. Chevrolet claims the Bolt has a range of more than 200 miles.

Josh Tavel, the Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV, says: "With every step we've made at Chevrolet - from the Volt EV to the Spark EV to the second gen Volt and now the Bolt EV - we've really built a good heritage and we keep increasing that pedigree. We know what the customers want, more importantly we know how the customers use the vehicles and everything that we've learnt is going into these vehicles."

The Bolt was first introduced as a concept a year ago and production could begin by the end of 2016.

The car could come with an app that will make car sharing easier and also include advanced GPS route mapping which can predict precise range based on driving habits, weather conditions and the number of hills on the planned route.

But is range anxiety and the worry about being an early adopter of a relatively new technology still putting off motorists from going electric in 2016.

"There'll always be some people that still have fear, right? Until it's a completely mainstream product perhaps that won't happen. My biggest thing is going to be about getting the people in the vehicles, letting them experience all the good things that electrification brings to a vehicle, it's a completely different driving experience," says Tavel.

Outside the show hall BMW is demonstrating its self-parking cars.

Ok, so cars parking themselves is nothing new - but this BMW i3 has been fitted with gesture control. Its driver swipes his wrist and the smart watch he is wearing communicates with the car... the car rolls slowly into life and parks itself.

Philipp Reinisch from the BMW Group says: "With gesture control parking, it's possible to move your car using a gesture. You activate the car first by shaking your arm like this and then you're doing like a tennis forehand and sending the car into the free parking space."

Volkswagen's old Microbus is getting a major update and could be in a garage near you in around three years.

The company unveiled a futuristic battery-powered concept of the bus called the BUDD-e. VW expects it to be able to go 373 miles (600 kilometres) on a single charge, far longer than electric vehicles today, due to a more efficient battery technology.

Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management at Volkswagen says: "It's much more, it's high technology, it's a long-range electric car, it's fully-connected, it's a very emotional car and it will be state of the art by the end of this decade."

The Budd-e has internet connections to smart home devices and can be charged to 80 percent of its battery capacity in about 15 minutes, VW claims.

It also has gesture recognition technology to control the infotainment screen, and the doors can be controlled by voice commands.

VW didn't say in its releases if the new Microbus will actually go into production, but said that the BUDD-e "demonstrates what electric mobility could be like by the year 2019."

"The car will be an integral part of the internet, probably the most important part in the internet. The car will be always online, fully connected, we will have automotive cloud which will make the car really safe to drive, very convenient," says Diess.

VW says it's likely that the Budd-e will become a production model.

While some auto makers like General Motors will be looking to boost current car sales, companies like Rinspeed will be looking years - perhaps decades - into the future.

The Swiss car makers unveiled a self-driving concept car called 'Etos'.

A total of eight HD exterior cameras visually monitor the vehicle's surroundings, establishing 180-degree panoramic views, virtual exterior mirrors and no blind spots.

Inside, there's a retracting steering wheel which creates added space when in auto-pilot mode, allowing drivers to explore two curved 21.5-inch Ultra HD widescreen monitors or simply read a book.

Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed says: "In my opinion, whether you drive a sports car or a sedan, once you're traffic you're stuck and then you want to do something else, you want to maybe work, you want to entertain yourself, you want to read and that means that you need space and the steering wheel for those activities are just simply in the way."

The Etos comes complete with an on-board DJI drone to snap road selfies during journeys... or even more unusual missions.

"The drone is for us a sign of connectivity, it's also a twinkle of the eye. Let's assume it's valentines day, you forgot to order roses for your wife, you order them online, the drones goes and picks them up and even delivers them," says Rinderknecht.

It may seem like science fiction for some, but Rinspeed's Etos concept vehicle may inspire cars of the future.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs 6-9 January in Las Vegas and over 3,600 exhibitors are showing off their latest consumer tech products and services.

LEAD IN:

200mph electric supercars and cars that park themselves with just a swish of their owner's wrist are just some of the latest hi-tech motors at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The auto industry is increasingly using the technology show to demonstrate its latest gadgets and advances.

STORY-LINE:

This futuristic looking electric supercar can reach speeds of up to 200mph according to its maker Faraday.

The single-seater Faraday FFZero1 features all of the latest hi-tech gadgetry expected in a car making its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Page Beermann, Exterior Design Chief of Faraday Future says: "This car is a technology test bed for us. We're exploring things like aerodynamics, chassis development, materials, as well as the design language."

For example, a smartphone can be embedded in the steering wheel to give the driver real-time data and can even be used to tune and alter the way the car is set-up.

The FFZero1 is the brainchild of California-based car maker Faraday Future and is strictly a concept for now... and even if it ever does go into production then you're unlikely to ever see one on the road.

"I envisage this as much more of like a track enthusiast's car. You know, someone that would probably not even drive it on the road," says Beermann.

The modular chassis design can be converted to make it longer or shorter - so various configurations can enable more battery packs to be added for greater range.

Although the FFZero1 might be a concept, Faraday is planning to build its first production cars within two years and is already being tipped as a rival for local electric car makers Tesla.

If 200mph supercars are a bit too much for your needs, then Chevrolet's new Bolt might make a more practical electric alternative.

The 2017 production model was also unveiled at CES - which is fast becoming an important platform for car makers to reinforce their technological credentials.

The Bolt is designed as an affordable long-range electric vehicle and the successor to Chevrolet's Volt. Chevrolet claims the Bolt has a range of more than 200 miles.

Josh Tavel, the Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV, says: "With every step we've made at Chevrolet - from the Volt EV to the Spark EV to the second gen Volt and now the Bolt EV - we've really built a good heritage and we keep increasing that pedigree. We know what the customers want, more importantly we know how the customers use the vehicles and everything that we've learnt is going into these vehicles."

The Bolt was first introduced as a concept a year ago and production could begin by the end of 2016.

The car could come with an app that will make car sharing easier and also include advanced GPS route mapping which can predict precise range based on driving habits, weather conditions and the number of hills on the planned route.

But is range anxiety and the worry about being an early adopter of a relatively new technology still putting off motorists from going electric in 2016.

"There'll always be some people that still have fear, right? Until it's a completely mainstream product perhaps that won't happen. My biggest thing is going to be about getting the people in the vehicles, letting them experience all the good things that electrification brings to a vehicle, it's a completely different driving experience," says Tavel.

Outside the show hall BMW is demonstrating its self-parking cars.

Ok, so cars parking themselves is nothing new - but this BMW i3 has been fitted with gesture control. Its driver swipes his wrist and the smart watch he is wearing communicates with the car... the car rolls slowly into life and parks itself.

Philipp Reinisch from the BMW Group says: "With gesture control parking, it's possible to move your car using a gesture. You activate the car first by shaking your arm like this and then you're doing like a tennis forehand and sending the car into the free parking space."

Volkswagen's old Microbus is getting a major update and could be in a garage near you in around three years.

The company unveiled a futuristic battery-powered concept of the bus called the BUDD-e. VW expects it to be able to go 373 miles (600 kilometres) on a single charge, far longer than electric vehicles today, due to a more efficient battery technology.

Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management at Volkswagen says: "It's much more, it's high technology, it's a long-range electric car, it's fully-connected, it's a very emotional car and it will be state of the art by the end of this decade."

The Budd-e has internet connections to smart home devices and can be charged to 80 percent of its battery capacity in about 15 minutes, VW claims.

It also has gesture recognition technology to control the infotainment screen, and the doors can be controlled by voice commands.

VW didn't say in its releases if the new Microbus will actually go into production, but said that the BUDD-e "demonstrates what electric mobility could be like by the year 2019."

"The car will be an integral part of the internet, probably the most important part in the internet. The car will be always online, fully connected, we will have automotive cloud which will make the car really safe to drive, very convenient," says Diess.

VW says it's likely that the Budd-e will become a production model.

While some auto makers like General Motors will be looking to boost current car sales, companies like Rinspeed will be looking years - perhaps decades - into the future.

The Swiss car makers unveiled a self-driving concept car called 'Etos'.

A total of eight HD exterior cameras visually monitor the vehicle's surroundings, establishing 180-degree panoramic views, virtual exterior mirrors and no blind spots.

Inside, there's a retracting steering wheel which creates added space when in auto-pilot mode, allowing drivers to explore two curved 21.5-inch Ultra HD widescreen monitors or simply read a book.

Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed says: "In my opinion, whether you drive a sports car or a sedan, once you're traffic you're stuck and then you want to do something else, you want to maybe work, you want to entertain yourself, you want to read and that means that you need space and the steering wheel for those activities are just simply in the way."

The Etos comes complete with an on-board DJI drone to snap road selfies during journeys... or even more unusual missions.

"The drone is for us a sign of connectivity, it's also a twinkle of the eye. Let's assume it's valentines day, you forgot to order roses for your wife, you order them online, the drones goes and picks them up and even delivers them," says Rinderknecht.

It may seem like science fiction for some, but Rinspeed's Etos concept vehicle may inspire cars of the future.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs 6-9 January in Las Vegas and over 3,600 exhibitors are showing off their latest consumer tech products and services.

AP TELEVISION

Las Vegas, US - 4 January 2015

1. Mid of Faraday FFZERO1 electric concept car

Las Vegas, US - 6 January 2015

2. Various of Faraday FFZERO1 electric concept car on display at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES)

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Page Beermann, Exterior Design Chief, Faraday Future:

"This car is a technology test bed for us. We're exploring things like aerodynamics, chassis development, materials, as well as the design language."

4. Various of Faraday FFZERO1 electric concept car on display

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Page Beermann, Exterior Design Chief, Faraday Future:

"I envisage this as much more of like a track enthusiast's car. You know, someone that would probably not even drive it on the road."

6. Mid of Josh Tavel, Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV, driving new Chevrolet Bolt EV

7. Wide of new Chevrolet Bolt EV coming to a stop

8. Various of new Chevrolet Bolt EV

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Josh Tavel, Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV:

"With every step we've made at Chevrolet - from the Volt EV to the Spark EV to the second gen Volt and now the Bolt EV - we've really built a good heritage and we keep increasing that pedigree. We know what the customers want, more importantly we know how the customers use the vehicles and everything that we've learnt is going into these vehicles."

10. Various of new Chevrolet Bolt EV

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Josh Tavel, Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV:

"There'll always be some people that still have fear, right? Until it's a completely mainstream product perhaps that won't happen. My biggest thing is going to be about getting the people in the vehicles, letting them experience all the good things that electrification brings to a vehicle, it's a completely different driving experience."

12. Mid of BMW employee preparing to park car using gesture control technology

13. Close of BMW employee's hands demonstrating gesture-controlled parking technology with smart watch

14. Various of BMW i3 self-parking

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Philipp Reinisch, BMW Group:

"With gesture control parking, it's possible to move your car using a gesture. You activate the car first by shaking your arm like this and then you're doing like a tennis forehand and sending the car into the free parking space."

16. Tilt up as BMW i3 drives away

17. Pull out of sign reading (English): "Think New." at Volkswagen CES booth

18. Various of Volkswagen BUDD-e concept bus on display

19. Setup shot of Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen, talking to media

20. Cutaway of video camera screen

21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen:

"It's much more, it's high technology, it's a long-range electric car, it's fully-connected, it's a very emotional car and it will be state of the art by the end of this decade."

22. Various of Volkswagen employee demonstrating BUDD-e gesture control technology

23. SOUNDBITE: (English) Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen:

"The car will be an integral part of the internet, probably the most important part in the internet. The car will be always online, fully connected, we will have automotive cloud which will make the car really safe to drive, very convenient."

24. Wide high shot of CES show floor

25. High shot of CES attendees on show floor

25. Various of Toyota FCV Plus on display

26. Various of Rinspeed 'Etos' concept car on display

27. Various of Rinspeed employee demonstrating retractable steering wheel for autonomous driving

28. SOUNDBITE: (English) Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed:

"In my opinion, whether you drive a sports car or a sedan, once you're traffic you're stuck and then you want to do something else, you want to maybe work, you want to entertain yourself, you want to read and that means that you need space and the steering wheel for those activities are just simply in the way."

29. Various of drone sat on Rinspeed 'Etos' rear

30. SOUNDBITE: (English) Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed:

"The drone is for us a sign of connectivity, it's also a twinkle of the eye. Let's assume it's valentines day, you forgot to order roses for your wife, you order them online, the drones goes and picks them up and even delivers them."

31. Tilt down to Rinspeed 'Etos' concept car on display

LEAD-IN:

200mph electric supercars and cars that park themselves with just a swish of their owner's wrist are just some of the latest hi-tech motors at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The auto industry is increasingly using the technology show to demonstrate its latest gadgets and advances.

STORY-LINE:

This futuristic looking electric supercar can reach speeds of up to 200mph according to its maker Faraday.

The single-seater Faraday FFZero1 features all of the latest hi-tech gadgetry expected in a car making its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Page Beermann, Exterior Design Chief of Faraday Future says: "This car is a technology test bed for us. We're exploring things like aerodynamics, chassis development, materials, as well as the design language."

For example, a smartphone can be embedded in the steering wheel to give the driver real-time data and can even be used to tune and alter the way the car is set-up.

The FFZero1 is the brainchild of California-based car maker Faraday Future and is strictly a concept for now... and even if it ever does go into production then you're unlikely to ever see one on the road.

"I envisage this as much more of like a track enthusiast's car. You know, someone that would probably not even drive it on the road," says Beermann.

The modular chassis design can be converted to make it longer or shorter - so various configurations can enable more battery packs to be added for greater range.

Although the FFZero1 might be a concept, Faraday is planning to build its first production cars within two years and is already being tipped as a rival for local electric car makers Tesla.

If 200mph supercars are a bit too much for your needs, then Chevrolet's new Bolt might make a more practical electric alternative.

The 2017 production model was also unveiled at CES - which is fast becoming an important platform for car makers to reinforce their technological credentials.

The Bolt is designed as an affordable long-range electric vehicle and the successor to Chevrolet's Volt. Chevrolet claims the Bolt has a range of more than 200 miles.

Josh Tavel, the Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV, says: "With every step we've made at Chevrolet - from the Volt EV to the Spark EV to the second gen Volt and now the Bolt EV - we've really built a good heritage and we keep increasing that pedigree. We know what the customers want, more importantly we know how the customers use the vehicles and everything that we've learnt is going into these vehicles."

The Bolt was first introduced as a concept a year ago and production could begin by the end of 2016.

The car could come with an app that will make car sharing easier and also include advanced GPS route mapping which can predict precise range based on driving habits, weather conditions and the number of hills on the planned route.

But is range anxiety and the worry about being an early adopter of a relatively new technology still putting off motorists from going electric in 2016.

"There'll always be some people that still have fear, right? Until it's a completely mainstream product perhaps that won't happen. My biggest thing is going to be about getting the people in the vehicles, letting them experience all the good things that electrification brings to a vehicle, it's a completely different driving experience," says Tavel.

Outside the show hall BMW is demonstrating its self-parking cars.

Ok, so cars parking themselves is nothing new - but this BMW i3 has been fitted with gesture control. Its driver swipes his wrist and the smart watch he is wearing communicates with the car... the car rolls slowly into life and parks itself.

Philipp Reinisch from the BMW Group says: "With gesture control parking, it's possible to move your car using a gesture. You activate the car first by shaking your arm like this and then you're doing like a tennis forehand and sending the car into the free parking space."

Volkswagen's old Microbus is getting a major update and could be in a garage near you in around three years.

The company unveiled a futuristic battery-powered concept of the bus called the BUDD-e. VW expects it to be able to go 373 miles (600 kilometres) on a single charge, far longer than electric vehicles today, due to a more efficient battery technology.

Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management at Volkswagen says: "It's much more, it's high technology, it's a long-range electric car, it's fully-connected, it's a very emotional car and it will be state of the art by the end of this decade."

The Budd-e has internet connections to smart home devices and can be charged to 80 percent of its battery capacity in about 15 minutes, VW claims.

It also has gesture recognition technology to control the infotainment screen, and the doors can be controlled by voice commands.

VW didn't say in its releases if the new Microbus will actually go into production, but said that the BUDD-e "demonstrates what electric mobility could be like by the year 2019."

"The car will be an integral part of the internet, probably the most important part in the internet. The car will be always online, fully connected, we will have automotive cloud which will make the car really safe to drive, very convenient," says Diess.

VW says it's likely that the Budd-e will become a production model.

While some auto makers like General Motors will be looking to boost current car sales, companies like Rinspeed will be looking years - perhaps decades - into the future.

The Swiss car makers unveiled a self-driving concept car called 'Etos'.

A total of eight HD exterior cameras visually monitor the vehicle's surroundings, establishing 180-degree panoramic views, virtual exterior mirrors and no blind spots.

Inside, there's a retracting steering wheel which creates added space when in auto-pilot mode, allowing drivers to explore two curved 21.5-inch Ultra HD widescreen monitors or simply read a book.

Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed says: "In my opinion, whether you drive a sports car or a sedan, once you're traffic you're stuck and then you want to do something else, you want to maybe work, you want to entertain yourself, you want to read and that means that you need space and the steering wheel for those activities are just simply in the way."

The Etos comes complete with an on-board DJI drone to snap road selfies during journeys... or even more unusual missions.

"The drone is for us a sign of connectivity, it's also a twinkle of the eye. Let's assume it's valentines day, you forgot to order roses for your wife, you order them online, the drones goes and picks them up and even delivers them," says Rinderknecht.

It may seem like science fiction for some, but Rinspeed's Etos concept vehicle may inspire cars of the future.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs 6-9 January in Las Vegas and over 3,600 exhibitors are showing off their latest consumer tech products and services.

LEAD-IN:

200mph electric supercars and cars that park themselves with just a swish of their owner's wrist are just some of the latest hi-tech motors at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The auto industry is increasingly using the technology show to demonstrate its latest gadgets and advances.

STORY-LINE:

This futuristic looking electric supercar can reach speeds of up to 200mph according to its maker Faraday.

The single-seater Faraday FFZero1 features all of the latest hi-tech gadgetry expected in a car making its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Page Beermann, Exterior Design Chief of Faraday Future says: "This car is a technology test bed for us. We're exploring things like aerodynamics, chassis development, materials, as well as the design language."

For example, a smartphone can be embedded in the steering wheel to give the driver real-time data and can even be used to tune and alter the way the car is set-up.

The FFZero1 is the brainchild of California-based car maker Faraday Future and is strictly a concept for now... and even if it ever does go into production then you're unlikely to ever see one on the road.

"I envisage this as much more of like a track enthusiast's car. You know, someone that would probably not even drive it on the road," says Beermann.

The modular chassis design can be converted to make it longer or shorter - so various configurations can enable more battery packs to be added for greater range.

Although the FFZero1 might be a concept, Faraday is planning to build its first production cars within two years and is already being tipped as a rival for local electric car makers Tesla.

If 200mph supercars are a bit too much for your needs, then Chevrolet's new Bolt might make a more practical electric alternative.

The 2017 production model was also unveiled at CES - which is fast becoming an important platform for car makers to reinforce their technological credentials.

The Bolt is designed as an affordable long-range electric vehicle and the successor to Chevrolet's Volt. Chevrolet claims the Bolt has a range of more than 200 miles.

Josh Tavel, the Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV, says: "With every step we've made at Chevrolet - from the Volt EV to the Spark EV to the second gen Volt and now the Bolt EV - we've really built a good heritage and we keep increasing that pedigree. We know what the customers want, more importantly we know how the customers use the vehicles and everything that we've learnt is going into these vehicles."

The Bolt was first introduced as a concept a year ago and production could begin by the end of 2016.

The car could come with an app that will make car sharing easier and also include advanced GPS route mapping which can predict precise range based on driving habits, weather conditions and the number of hills on the planned route.

But is range anxiety and the worry about being an early adopter of a relatively new technology still putting off motorists from going electric in 2016.

"There'll always be some people that still have fear, right? Until it's a completely mainstream product perhaps that won't happen. My biggest thing is going to be about getting the people in the vehicles, letting them experience all the good things that electrification brings to a vehicle, it's a completely different driving experience," says Tavel.

Outside the show hall BMW is demonstrating its self-parking cars.

Ok, so cars parking themselves is nothing new - but this BMW i3 has been fitted with gesture control. Its driver swipes his wrist and the smart watch he is wearing communicates with the car... the car rolls slowly into life and parks itself.

Philipp Reinisch from the BMW Group says: "With gesture control parking, it's possible to move your car using a gesture. You activate the car first by shaking your arm like this and then you're doing like a tennis forehand and sending the car into the free parking space."

Volkswagen's old Microbus is getting a major update and could be in a garage near you in around three years.

The company unveiled a futuristic battery-powered concept of the bus called the BUDD-e. VW expects it to be able to go 373 miles (600 kilometres) on a single charge, far longer than electric vehicles today, due to a more efficient battery technology.

Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management at Volkswagen says: "It's much more, it's high technology, it's a long-range electric car, it's fully-connected, it's a very emotional car and it will be state of the art by the end of this decade."

The Budd-e has internet connections to smart home devices and can be charged to 80 percent of its battery capacity in about 15 minutes, VW claims.

It also has gesture recognition technology to control the infotainment screen, and the doors can be controlled by voice commands.

VW didn't say in its releases if the new Microbus will actually go into production, but said that the BUDD-e "demonstrates what electric mobility could be like by the year 2019."

"The car will be an integral part of the internet, probably the most important part in the internet. The car will be always online, fully connected, we will have automotive cloud which will make the car really safe to drive, very convenient," says Diess.

VW says it's likely that the Budd-e will become a production model.

While some auto makers like General Motors will be looking to boost current car sales, companies like Rinspeed will be looking years - perhaps decades - into the future.

The Swiss car makers unveiled a self-driving concept car called 'Etos'.

A total of eight HD exterior cameras visually monitor the vehicle's surroundings, establishing 180-degree panoramic views, virtual exterior mirrors and no blind spots.

Inside, there's a retracting steering wheel which creates added space when in auto-pilot mode, allowing drivers to explore two curved 21.5-inch Ultra HD widescreen monitors or simply read a book.

Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed says: "In my opinion, whether you drive a sports car or a sedan, once you're traffic you're stuck and then you want to do something else, you want to maybe work, you want to entertain yourself, you want to read and that means that you need space and the steering wheel for those activities are just simply in the way."

The Etos comes complete with an on-board DJI drone to snap road selfies during journeys... or even more unusual missions.

"The drone is for us a sign of connectivity, it's also a twinkle of the eye. Let's assume it's valentines day, you forgot to order roses for your wife, you order them online, the drones goes and picks them up and even delivers them," says Rinderknecht.

It may seem like science fiction for some, but Rinspeed's Etos concept vehicle may inspire cars of the future.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs 6-9 January in Las Vegas and over 3,600 exhibitors are showing off their latest consumer tech products and services.

Las Vegas, US - 4 January 2015

1. Mid of Faraday FFZERO1 electric concept car

Las Vegas, US - 6 January 2015

2. Various of Faraday FFZERO1 electric concept car on display at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES)

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Page Beermann, Exterior Design Chief, Faraday Future:

"This car is a technology test bed for us. We're exploring things like aerodynamics, chassis development, materials, as well as the design language."

4. Various of Faraday FFZERO1 electric concept car on display

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Page Beermann, Exterior Design Chief, Faraday Future:

"I envisage this as much more of like a track enthusiast's car. You know, someone that would probably not even drive it on the road."

6. Mid of Josh Tavel, Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV, driving new Chevrolet Bolt EV

7. Wide of new Chevrolet Bolt EV coming to a stop

8. Various of new Chevrolet Bolt EV

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Josh Tavel, Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV:

"With every step we've made at Chevrolet - from the Volt EV to the Spark EV to the second gen Volt and now the Bolt EV - we've really built a good heritage and we keep increasing that pedigree. We know what the customers want, more importantly we know how the customers use the vehicles and everything that we've learnt is going into these vehicles."

10. Various of new Chevrolet Bolt EV

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Josh Tavel, Vehicle Chief Engineer for Chevrolet Bolt EV:

"There'll always be some people that still have fear, right? Until it's a completely mainstream product perhaps that won't happen. My biggest thing is going to be about getting the people in the vehicles, letting them experience all the good things that electrification brings to a vehicle, it's a completely different driving experience."

12. Mid of BMW employee preparing to park car using gesture control technology

13. Close of BMW employee's hands demonstrating gesture-controlled parking technology with smart watch

14. Various of BMW i3 self-parking

15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Philipp Reinisch, BMW Group:

"With gesture control parking, it's possible to move your car using a gesture. You activate the car first by shaking your arm like this and then you're doing like a tennis forehand and sending the car into the free parking space."

16. Tilt up as BMW i3 drives away

17. Pull out of sign reading (English): "Think New." at Volkswagen CES booth

18. Various of Volkswagen BUDD-e concept bus on display

19. Setup shot of Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen, talking to media

20. Cutaway of video camera screen

21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen:

"It's much more, it's high technology, it's a long-range electric car, it's fully-connected, it's a very emotional car and it will be state of the art by the end of this decade."

22. Various of Volkswagen employee demonstrating BUDD-e gesture control technology

23. SOUNDBITE: (English) Herbert Diess, Chairman of the board of management, Volkswagen:

"The car will be an integral part of the internet, probably the most important part in the internet. The car will be always online, fully connected, we will have automotive cloud which will make the car really safe to drive, very convenient."

24. Wide high shot of CES show floor

25. High shot of CES attendees on show floor

25. Various of Toyota FCV Plus on display

26. Various of Rinspeed 'Etos' concept car on display

27. Various of Rinspeed employee demonstrating retractable steering wheel for autonomous driving

28. SOUNDBITE: (English) Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed:

"In my opinion, whether you drive a sports car or a sedan, once you're traffic you're stuck and then you want to do something else, you want to maybe work, you want to entertain yourself, you want to read and that means that you need space and the steering wheel for those activities are just simply in the way."

29. Various of drone sat on Rinspeed 'Etos' rear

30. SOUNDBITE: (English) Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed:

"The drone is for us a sign of connectivity, it's also a twinkle of the eye. Let's assume it's valentines day, you forgot to order roses for your wife, you order them online, the drones goes and picks them up and even delivers them."

31. Tilt down to Rinspeed 'Etos' concept car on display

LEAD IN:

Eco-friendly rides and self-driving vehicles are stealing all the headlines at the annual Tokyo Motor Show in Japan.

Japanese auto makers Toyota, Honda and Lexus are all debuting new concept vehicles which embrace lower carbon technologies in comparison to traditional petrol engines.

STORY-LINE:

Automobiles are coming in all shapes and sizes at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan, on Toyota's stand they're even glowing like something out of a sci-fi movie.

On home soil, Toyota President Akio Toyoda introduced a collection of concept cars accompanied by popular Japanese Major League baseball player, Ichiro Suzuki.

"It is truly tough to compete in a global field. We need to meet many new challenges in order to survive," says the baseball player.

"Those are the thoughts when I am standing at the batter's box. I am curious to what sort of 'wow' Toyota will show us."

The Toyota president took the opportunity to declare the company's intention to play a leading role in the auto industry, wowing drivers in the process.

"Toyota will produce better and better cars and will make an effort towards realising an enjoyable mobility environment," says Toyoda.

"'What wows you' is to be brave and meet the challenge. We will always continue to stand in the batter's box to meet the challenges in the future. Let's do it together!"

The key concept car Toyota is unveiling this year is this new generation fuel cell vehicle called the 'Toyota FCV Plus'.

The vehicle has the capability to generate electricity by using hydrogen stored outside the vehicle.

That way, the car can function not only as a vehicle but also be used as a sort of portable power plant.

The automaker also unveiled this lightweight sports car concept called the 'Toyota S-FR'. Weighing only 980kg, it's designed for nimble driving.

Hans Greimel, an auto journalist who specialises in Asia's auto industry, says this year's motor show features a range of eco-themed cars.

"At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, you're going to see a lot of activities from Japanese makers in particular on their home turf coming out with new kinds of green cars, new environmentally friendly cars - everything from fuel cells, you'll have those from Honda and from Toyota, to electric vehicles which is just about represented by just about everybody here," he says.

"The other trend you're gonna see is autonomous driving trend, self-driving cars. All of the automakers are gonna have some kind of version of their vision for where that kind of self-driving car technology will go. And that's gonna be a centrepiece of the presentations here."

Volkswagen representatives used their presentation at the motor show to again apologise for the company's recent emissions scandal.

Despite none of the affected vehicles being sold in Japan, the company acknowledged the problems have "damaged Japanese trust" in the brand.

They also used the event to present the company's new Tiguan GTE concept car to Asian audiences.

Previously unveiled at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show, the concept is an SUV which boasts hybrid drive technology.

Volkswagen's CEO of Passenger Cars, Herbert Diess, says the car starts in full electric mode which has a range of 50 kilometres that will cover most daily drives.

"Depending on the amount of sunshine, it can be driven even further. That is because a solar module can contribute enough energy for an additional 1,000 kilometres per year," he says.

Honda claims their new Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle is the first production model to consolidate the fuel-cell power train under the vehicle's hood.

That means it allows spacious areas in the rest of the vehicle, something some previous fuel cell vehicles didn't deliver.

The Japanese automaker also showed the latest version of its NSX.

Originally introduced in 1990, the new version is a hybrid sports car which uses both petrol and electric power.

The NSX has been a popular sports car for the brand, many see this as a reflection of Honda's F1 race technology.

"This new NSX boasts the light weight body frame and with newly-developed twin-turbocharged V6 engines installed in the middle part of the car," says Takahiro Hachigo, the president and CEO of Honda Motor Co.

"This is a super sports car equipped with a three-motor hybrid system so that it can meet both demands, the fun of driving and good fuel mileage."

Nissan is showing off this 'Teatro for Dayz' concept car which boasts seats and surfaces that can be used to display videos and images. Passengers can enjoy playing games that surround them in the car.

The automaker's president and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, says the EV minicar resembles a digital gadget just as much a car.

Nissan also unveiled its other major concept called the 'IDS Concept', sharing its vision for future autonomous driving technology in the process.

This concept vehicle is loaded with laser scanners, a 360-degree camera setup, radar and computer technology that makes autonomous navigation possible.

Nissan plan to offer some autonomous driving features in its vehicles by the end of next year in Japan.

By 2018, the company says vehicles with the technology will be able to conduct lane changes on highways.

By 2020, such vehicles will be able to make their way through intersections on regular urban roads.

The IDS vehicle is also electric and can travel long distances on a single charge, also recharging quickly.

"I think it's empowering. It's empowering!" says Ghosn.

"When you're in an autonomous car, it's empowering because you switch on, you switch off. If you want to drive, you switch it off."

"If you don't want to drive, you're in the city, you're in a traffic jam, you receive a phone call, you need to have a conversation with somebody near you, you switch it on. It's empowering. I think that's great."

"That's why young people are going to love it, senior people are going to love it, families are going to love it, because it's going to give you more freedom to do whatever you want."

Lexus, Toyota's luxury car brand, is unveiling this stylish hybrid coupe concept called 'LF-FC'.

"We hope that with this design, drivers will experience a ride that is full of emotion and joy," says Lexus International President, Tokuo Fukuichi.

The original version was unveiled in 2012, but it's yet to go to market.

There was no confirmation given at this year's motor show whether the car will eventually be available commercially.

More than 70 different concept cars are being presented at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.

The event runs until 8 November.

LEAD IN:

Eco-friendly rides and self-driving vehicles are stealing all the headlines at the annual Tokyo Motor Show in Japan.

Japanese auto makers Toyota, Honda and Lexus are all debuting new concept vehicles which embrace lower carbon technologies in comparison to traditional petrol engines.

STORY-LINE:

Automobiles are coming in all shapes and sizes at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan, on Toyota's stand they're even glowing like something out of a sci-fi movie.

On home soil, Toyota President Akio Toyoda introduced a collection of concept cars accompanied by popular Japanese Major League baseball player, Ichiro Suzuki.

"It is truly tough to compete in a global field. We need to meet many new challenges in order to survive," says the baseball player.

"Those are the thoughts when I am standing at the batter's box. I am curious to what sort of 'wow' Toyota will show us."

The Toyota president took the opportunity to declare the company's intention to play a leading role in the auto industry, wowing drivers in the process.

"Toyota will produce better and better cars and will make an effort towards realising an enjoyable mobility environment," says Toyoda.

"'What wows you' is to be brave and meet the challenge. We will always continue to stand in the batter's box to meet the challenges in the future. Let's do it together!"

The key concept car Toyota is unveiling this year is this new generation fuel cell vehicle called the 'Toyota FCV Plus'.

The vehicle has the capability to generate electricity by using hydrogen stored outside the vehicle.

That way, the car can function not only as a vehicle but also be used as a sort of portable power plant.

The automaker also unveiled this lightweight sports car concept called the 'Toyota S-FR'. Weighing only 980kg, it's designed for nimble driving.

Hans Greimel, an auto journalist who specialises in Asia's auto industry, says this year's motor show features a range of eco-themed cars.

"At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, you're going to see a lot of activities from Japanese makers in particular on their home turf coming out with new kinds of green cars, new environmentally friendly cars - everything from fuel cells, you'll have those from Honda and from Toyota, to electric vehicles which is just about represented by just about everybody here," he says.

"The other trend you're gonna see is autonomous driving trend, self-driving cars. All of the automakers are gonna have some kind of version of their vision for where that kind of self-driving car technology will go. And that's gonna be a centrepiece of the presentations here."

Volkswagen representatives used their presentation at the motor show to again apologise for the company's recent emissions scandal.

Despite none of the affected vehicles being sold in Japan, the company acknowledged the problems have "damaged Japanese trust" in the brand.

They also used the event to present the company's new Tiguan GTE concept car to Asian audiences.

Previously unveiled at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show, the concept is an SUV which boasts hybrid drive technology.

Volkswagen's CEO of Passenger Cars, Herbert Diess, says the car starts in full electric mode which has a range of 50 kilometres that will cover most daily drives.

"Depending on the amount of sunshine, it can be driven even further. That is because a solar module can contribute enough energy for an additional 1,000 kilometres per year," he says.

Honda claims their new Clarity Fuel Cell vehicle is the first production model to consolidate the fuel-cell power train under the vehicle's hood.

That means it allows spacious areas in the rest of the vehicle, something some previous fuel cell vehicles didn't deliver.

The Japanese automaker also showed the latest version of its NSX.

Originally introduced in 1990, the new version is a hybrid sports car which uses both petrol and electric power.

The NSX has been a popular sports car for the brand, many see this as a reflection of Honda's F1 race technology.

"This new NSX boasts the light weight body frame and with newly-developed twin-turbocharged V6 engines installed in the middle part of the car," says Takahiro Hachigo, the president and CEO of Honda Motor Co.

"This is a super sports car equipped with a three-motor hybrid system so that it can meet both demands, the fun of driving and good fuel mileage."

Nissan is showing off this 'Teatro for Dayz' concept car which boasts seats and surfaces that can be used to display videos and images. Passengers can enjoy playing games that surround them in the car.

The automaker's president and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, says the EV minicar resembles a digital gadget just as much a car.

Nissan also unveiled its other major concept called the 'IDS Concept', sharing its vision for future autonomous driving technology in the process.

This concept vehicle is loaded with laser scanners, a 360-degree camera setup, radar and computer technology that makes autonomous navigation possible.

Nissan plan to offer some autonomous driving features in its vehicles by the end of next year in Japan.

By 2018, the company says vehicles with the technology will be able to conduct lane changes on highways.

By 2020, such vehicles will be able to make their way through intersections on regular urban roads.

The IDS vehicle is also electric and can travel long distances on a single charge, also recharging quickly.

"I think it's empowering. It's empowering!" says Ghosn.

"When you're in an autonomous car, it's empowering because you switch on, you switch off. If you want to drive, you switch it off."

"If you don't want to drive, you're in the city, you're in a traffic jam, you receive a phone call, you need to have a conversation with somebody near you, you switch it on. It's empowering. I think that's great."

"That's why young people are going to love it, senior people are going to love it, families are going to love it, because it's going to give you more freedom to do whatever you want."

Lexus, Toyota's luxury car brand, is unveiling this stylish hybrid coupe concept called 'LF-FC'.

"We hope that with this design, drivers will experience a ride that is full of emotion and joy," says Lexus International President, Tokuo Fukuichi.

The original version was unveiled in 2012, but it's yet to go to market.

There was no confirmation given at this year's motor show whether the car will eventually be available commercially.

More than 70 different concept cars are being presented at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.

The event runs until 8 November.

AP TELEVISION

Tokyo, Japan - 28 October 2015

1. Close of wheel of Toyota Motor Corp.'s concept car "FCV plus" on show at Tokyo Motor Show

2. Wide of FCV plus

3. Close of glowing ring on FCV plus

4. Wide of Toyota's world and Japan premiere vehicles on display

5. Close of Toyota's world and Japan premiere vehicle "SFR"

6. Wide of Ichiro Suzuki, American Major League Baseball Player, and Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Co., shaking hands onstage

7. Close of Suzuki and Toyoda onstage

8. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Ichiro Suzuki, American Major League Baseball Player:

"It is truly tough to compete in a global field. We need to meet many new challenges in order to survive. Those are the thoughts when I am standing at the batter's box. I am curious to what sort of 'wow" Toyota will show us."

9. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese/English) Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Co.:

"Toyota will produce better and better cars and will make an effort towards realising an enjoyable mobility environment. 'What wows you' is to be brave and meet the challenge. We will always continue to stand in the batter's box to meet the challenges in the future. Let's do it together!"

10. Various of Hans Greimel, Automotive News, Asia Editor, looking at car at Tokyo Motor Show

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hans Greimel, Automotive News, Asia Editor:

"At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, you're going to see a lot of activities from Japanese makers in particular on their home turf coming out with new kinds of green cars, new environmentally friendly cars - everything from fuel cells, you'll have those from Honda and from Toyota, to electric vehicles which is just about represented by just about everybody here. The other trend you're gonna see is autonomous driving trend, self-driving cars. All of the automakers are gonna have some kind of version of their vision for where that kind of self-driving car technology will go. And that's gonna be a centrepiece of the presentations here."

12. Wide of Sven Stein, Representative Director, Volkswagen Group Japan (left) and Herbert Diess, Volkswagen's CEO Passenger Cars brand (right) unveiling Tiguan GTE concept car with solar roof

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Herbert Diess, Volkswagen's CEO Passenger Cars brand:

"Depending on the amount of sunshine, it can be driven even further. That is because a solar module that can contribute enough energy for an additional 1,000 kilometres per year."

14. Wide of Diess standing in front of concept car while detailing safety features

UPSOUND: (English) "And it is precisely this type of progress that makes the Tiguan a Volkswagen."

15. Various of Stein and Diess posing for photographs next to Tiguan GTE concept car

16. Various of Honda's concept car "Clarity"

17. Wide of Takahiro Hachigo, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., walking onstage

18. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Takahiro Hachigo, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co.:

"This new NSX boasts the light weight body frame and with newly-developed twin-turbocharged V6 engines installed in the middle part of the car. This is a super sports car equipped with a three-motor hybrid system so that it can meet both demands, the fun of driving and good fuel mileage."

19. Various of Honda's NSX

20. Close of Nissan's concept car "Teatro for Dayz"

21. Wide of Nissan Teatro

22. Close of car dashboard

23. Close of dashboard graphics

24. Wide of Nissan Teatro interior with doors wide open showing LED panels changing designs of interior

25. Wide of Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., speaking onstage at presentation

26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co.:

"Above all, they want a car to be a versatile tool for self-expression and connecting with friends just like a smart phone."

27. Wide of Nissan's "IDS" autonomous car

28. Pull out of Nissan's "IDS"

29. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co.:

"I think it's empowering. It's empowering! When you're in an autonomous car, it's empowering because you switch on, you switch off. If you want to drive, you switch it off. If you don't want to drive, you're in the city, you're in a traffic jam, you receive a phone call, you need to have a conversation with somebody near you, you switch it on. It's empowering. I think that's great. That's why young people are going to love it, senior people are going to love it, families are going to love it, because it's going to give you more freedom to do whatever you want."

30. Wide of Lexus's world premiere vehicle LF-FC driving onstage

31. Pan left from photographer to car

32. Pull focus of Lexus logo

33. Wide of Lexus's world premiere vehicle LF-FC

34. Close of LF-FC rear

35. Close of markings, reading (English): 'Fuel Cell' on LF-FC

36. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Tokuo Fukuichi, Lexus International President:

"We hope that with this design, drivers will experience a ride that is full of emotion and joy."

37. Tilt down to Tokyo Motor Show floor

38. Wide of motor show floor

39. Long shot of visitors walking through motor show

Green cars rolled into the spotlight at the Tokyo auto show on Wednesday as Japan's automakers look to fuel efficient technology to reinvigorate growth after tough times.

The Tokyo Motor Show previewed for media ahead of its opening to the public on Saturday.

The show has been scaling back in recent years, underlining the waning importance of Japan as a global auto market.

Automakers are increasingly looking to China, India and other markets with growth potential more than Japan, which has made competition stiff.

"The time when an automaker could focus only on the vehicle is over. Look at the concept cars here today," said Nissan Motor Co CEO Carlos Ghosn, adding that today's cars should be "viable transport solutions for tomorrow's digitally connected urban societies where smart houses and smart communities support zero emission mobility."

Very few US and European car companies featured at the show, and so, with the Japanese being the stars, the focus was on ecological technology, such as plug-in hybrids and electric cars.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda became emotional as he talked of the the country's tough challenges after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

Japanese automakers, including Toyota Motor Corp., were forced to scale back production as supply chains in northeastern Japan were damaged.

Toyoda promised that Toyota would "not turn its back" on the earthquake damaged regions, nor on Toyota plants in flood-ravaged Thailand.

"Toyota will work together with people in these regions and aims to be the driving force of their restoration and reconstruction," Toyoda said.

Toyota's display at the motor show featured the plug-in version of its Prius hybrid.

More than 3.4 (m) million Toyota hybrids have been sold worldwide so far, and the company is hoping Prius plug-in sales will reach 60-thousand per year globally.

Nissan Motor Co. had an updated version of its futuristic-looking electric car called Pivo 3, which can automatically drive itself, find parking spaces, and swerve around in almost a complete circle.

Nissan also showed concept cars such as the AC-X plug-in hybrid, EV-STER electric roadster convertible, and a tiny electric car called Micro Commuter Concept.

Honda displayed a portable battery that is small enough to be carried inside electric cars and plug-ins, and even on small electric scooters.

However, even with the green innovations, Koji Endo, auto analyst with Advanced Research Japan, says that Japanese automakers are still struggling.

"The car industry in Japan is still in really big trouble. And many of the car makers including Toyota, Honda - they are struggling in making money," he said.

Tokyo Motor show opens to the public on Saturday 3 December and runs until 11 December.

1. Tracking shot of Nissan "Pivo3", pan to Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Company walking onto stage, AUDIO: presentation music

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co:

"The time when an automaker could focus only on the vehicle is over. Look at the concept cars here today. These are not exercises in design fantasy but viable transport solutions for tomorrow's digitally connected urban societies where smart houses and smart communities support zero emission mobility."

3. Various of unveiling of the newest plug-in hybrid "Prius PHV", AUDIO: presentation music

4. Wide of President of Toyota Motor Corp, Akio Toyoda, appearing on stage

5. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corp:

"Through manufacturing, we aim to envision the future together with our communities. Toyota will not turn its back on Tohoku nor Thailand. Rather, Toyota will work together with people in these regions and aims to be the driving force of their restoration and reconstruction."

6. Pull focus of Toyota emblem on car

7. Various of Toyota "FCV-R" (Fuel Cell Vehicle)

8. Cutaway audience

9. Various of Honda's "Micro Commuter Concept" car

10. Set up of auto analyst Koji Endo looking at cars

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Koji Endo, auto analyst, Advanced Research Japan:

"The car industry in Japan is still in really big trouble. And many of the car makers including Toyota, Honda - they are struggling in making money. Actually Toyota and Honda are not making any money in the automotive division, partly because of the Tohoku earthquake and partly because of the flood situation in Thailand. But more importantly, strong yen, relatively weak economy here, slowing down Chinese market, and the US market is still kind of struggling, so to speak."

12. Logos of various automakers

13. Various of people attending the auto show

SHOTLIST:

AP Television

Tokyo - 18 November, 2010

1. Close up of woman test driving Toyota's electric vehicle, iQ

2. Various of test drive

3. Wide of news conference

4. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Takeshi Uchiyamada, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Corporation :

"We think we should develop electric vehicles focusing on short commuter use so as to expand the market. With that position, we are now aiming to put electric vehicles on the market by 2012 in Japan, the US and Europe."

AP FILE

Tokyo - 21 July, 2007

5. Various of Toyota plug-in hybrid Prius being charged

AP Television -

Tokyo - 18 November, 2010

6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) Takeshi Uchiyamada, Executive Vice President, Toyota Motor Corporation :

"The PHV (plug-in hybrid) is a hybrid car which does not use much gasoline and also is an electric vehicle whose battery does not run out. PHV is the amalgamation and evolution of both technologies and we think it will be the mainstream of electric vehicles."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Greimel, Asia Editor, Automotive News :

"Well it's a good question whether Toyota can maintain the lead in the environmental vehicle race. They had an early start with Prius which was well accepted and established Toyota's name as the leader, but yet you see companies something like Nissan coming out with the Leaf and trying to take the - to leapfrog ahead of Toyota. So we will see where it goes. A lot will depend on the development on these batteries which is the key power source for these cars."

8. Various of Toyota electric vehicle, iQ

9. Various of the charge inlet

10. Close up of the battery

11. Wide of iQ

LEAD IN :

The next generation of Toyota's electric cars are to go on sale in the US, Japan and Europe by 2012.

The new version will be a compact hybrid vehicle best suited for short haul trips.

STORY-LINE:

This little car is what Toyota's excited about.

The company says its next generation of eco-friendly vehicles will be gasoline-electric hybrid, which will remain the standard for green cars so drivers won't have to worry about running out of electricity on the road.

Given a test drive it sped around a short test-course without any problem, making whirring motor noises instead of the usual roar of an engine.

Toyota's executive vice president, Takeshi Uchiyamada says the new eco car, based on Toyota's iQ, has been designed is to focus on short haul use.

"We think we should develop electric vehicles focusing on short commuter use so as to expand the market. With that position, we are now aiming to put electric vehicles on the market by 2012 in Japan, the US and Europe."

The eco car is going on sale in the US, Japan and Europe from 2012 , with the company targeting sales of 50,000 vehicles a year at 3 million yen ($36,000) each without subsidies, as the automaker strengthens its green lineup to keep pace with growing competition.

Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, is banking on hybrids, which switch between gasoline and electric engines, after the success of its top-selling Prius hybrid. The company says they are planning to introduce 11 new hybrid models by the end of 2012, including revamps of existing models.

Uchiyamada says the plug-in hybrid gives drivers the best of both worlds.

"The PHV (plug-in hybrid) is a hybrid car which does not use much gasoline and also is an electric vehicle whose battery does not run out. PHV is the amalgamation and evolution of both technologies and we think it will be the mainstream of electric vehicles."

Besides developing an electric car in-house, Toyota is working on an electric sport-utility vehicle with U.S. luxury electric car maker Tesla. A concept model which is being shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show is planned for sale in the U.S. in 2012, with a range of 100 miles on a single charge.

Other car manufacturers are playing catch up however with Japanese rivals Nissan and Mitsubishi dashing ahead in the race to bring new hybrid to market, as Asia Editor of Automotive News, Hans Greimel explains.

"Well it's a good question whether Toyota can maintain the lead in the environmental vehicle race. They had an early start with Prius which was well accepted and established Toyota's name as the leader, but yet you see companies something like Nissan coming out with the Leaf and trying to take the - to leapfrog ahead of Toyota. So we will see where it goes. A lot will depend on the development on these batteries which is the key power source for these cars."

Mitsubishi's eco car, the iMiEV, is already on sale.

Analysts say electric vehicles and other futuristic vehicles will still only make up a tiny fraction of the auto market for years.

Recharging stations will be needed for electric vehicles and hydrogen fuelling stations will be needed if fuel cells are ever to become practical.

Toyota sorely needs a boost to its image after a series of massive recalls totalling more than 11 million vehicles globally over the last year, mostly in the U.S., for faulty gas pedals, floor mats that can trap accelerators, defective braking and stalling engines.

The maker of the Camry sedan and Lexus luxury model also faces lawsuits in the U.S. over accidents suspected of being related to those defects.

Its image, once equated with near impeccable quality, has been badly tarnished, especially after widespread criticism it was slow and reluctant to come forward with the recalls.

While next-generation eco-cars in Japan have been dominated by Toyota's hybrid Prius and Nissan's electronic vehicle Leaf, both companies are rolling out not just greener, but sleeker functions and designs this year.

Carlos Ghosn, chief executive at Nissan, heralds the connection of cars to infrastructure.

"The time when an automaker could focus only on the vehicle is over" Ghosn said. Pointing to Nissan's latest line up of vehicles, he stressed "these are not exercises in design fantasy but viable transport solutions for tomorrow's digitally connected urban societies where smart houses and smart communities support zero emission mobility."

The updated version of its futuristic-looking electric car called Pivo 3 - can drive itself, find parking spaces, charge its own battery and even come and pick you up once summoned through your smartphone.

In about a decade, electric vehicles will make up 10 percent of the market as concerns grow about global warming, and governments in the U.S., Japan, Europe and China encourage their sales, says Ghosn.

Meanwhile, Japan's biggest automaker Toyota, flexed its R&D muscles and presented 5 world premiere vehicles at the show. For the auto giant, variety was key.

It rolled out its Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle (PHV), equipped with a high-capacity lithium ion-battery that can be charged from a household outlet.

Toyota also premiered a concept fuel-cell vehicle (FCV-R) which uses hydrogen as power source and is slated to launch in 2015, as well as a compact electric vehicle (FT-EV III) designed for short-distance trips, scheduled to launch in 2012.

And in the hopes of attracting younger buyers back into the market by making cars "fun to drive, again" - Toyota's new slogan - the auto giant debuted a prototype "86" compact rear-wheel-drive sports car.

"When we talk about the car of the future, we're not just going to be talking about whether its hybrid or plug-in hybrid." Toyota President Akio Toyoda said. "Customers will make their decisions, but their choices will not be limited to just one. I believe there is a place for different cars with different advantages."

Japanese automakers have had a tough few years due to image problems from Toyota's massive recalls and the large production disruptions from the March disasters in northeastern Japan. But green technology remains a strong selling point for car makers such as Toyota Motor Corp. which pioneered broad consumer acceptance of gasoline-electric hybrid cars with its hit Prius.

So with hybrids, plug-in hybrids, electronic vehicles, fuel cells and more coming down the pipeline, where is the next generation eco-friendly car headed? Koji Endo, auto analyst at Advanced Research Japan says despite all the fanfare, he expects hybrids to stay on for the time being.

"I think, looking at 10 years from now, or maybe beyond, electric vehicles seem to be getting more and more attention as practical way. At the same time, there are going to be fuel cell, more advanced type of diesel, and a lot of number of new types of eco-friendly cars available. Still, people's focus is till on the hybrid," says Endo.

As for the Tokyo Motor Show itself, there seems to be a little more hype this year with 52 world premiere vehicles, 15 domestic brands and 24 foreign brands participating. That's a drastic improvement from just 9 foreign brands that were present for the previous show in 2009 that was held in the midst of the global financial crisis after the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Still, Ford Motor Co. of the U.S. skipped the show, and General Motors Co. had only a tiny corner booth. Just a handful of European manufacturers like Volkswagen AG and BMW are back in Japan this time aiming to woo rich Japanese buyers had full-scale booths.

The show been scaling back in recent years because of the waning importance of Japan as an auto market. Car makers _ including Japan's _ are increasingly looking to China, India and other nations with greater growth potential.

This year, organisers of the show are hoping to attract over 800,000 visitors during the event by bringing it back to Tokyo for the first time in 24 years, extending opening hours, and offering cheaper tickets for visitors who come in the evening.

The Tokyo Motor Show will be open to the public from December 3-11.

AP Television

Tokyo, Japan - November 30, 2011

1. Close of Nissan "PIVO3"2. Wide of Carlos Ghosn appearing on stage

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlos Ghosn, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Co.

"The time when an automaker could focus only on the vehicle is over. Look at the concept cars here today. These are not exercises in design fantasy but viable transport solutions for tomorrow's digitally connected urban societies where smart houses and smart communities support zero emission mobility."

4. Pull focus on Nissan's emblem

5. Wide of Pivo 3 on stage

6. Close of Pivo 3 tyres

7. Mid of Pivo 3

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Koji Endo, auto analyst of Advanced Research Japan

"I must say, everybody's talking about still eco-friendly cars such as hybrid and plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. And at the same time, everybody is now trying to focus on small cars, more fuel economical cars, cheap cars, that people can afford to buying those cars."

9. Wide of Toyota's Fuel Cell Vehicle "FCV-R"

10. Close of FCV-R

11. Frontal shot of FCV-R

12. Wide of stage with the newest plug-in hybrid "Prius PHV" and electronic vehicle "FT-EV III" with President of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, standing in front of stage

13. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corp.

"When we talk about the car of the future, we're not just going to be talking about whether its hybrid or plug-in hybrid. Customers will make their decisions, but their choices will not be limited to just one. I believe there is a place for different cars with different advantages."

14. Pull focus of BMW emblem on car

15. Frontal shot of BMW concept sports car

16. Frontal shot of BMW world premiere hybrid series 5 "Active Hybrid 5"

17. Close pull focus of "Active Hybrid 5" sign on BMW car 18. Mid of display with sign "world premiere" with BMW car 19. Focus shift of Citroen emblem on car 20. Wide of Citroen booth 21. Frontal shot of Volkswagen's "New Bulli"

22. Close of Volkswagen's emblem on car

23. Wide of Volkswagen booth

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Koji Endo, auto analyst of Advanced Research Japan

"I think, looking at 10 years from now, or maybe beyond, electric vehicles seem to be getting more and more attention as practical way. At the same time, there are going to be fuel cell, more advanced type of diesel, and a lot of number of new types of eco-friendly cars available. Still, people's focus is till on the hybrid."

25. Close of Honda's emblem on its concept electronic vehicle "Micro Commuter"

26. Mid of Honda's Micro Commuter

27. Close of the Micro Commuter with sign: "See you!"

28. Wide of Tokyo Motor Show

29. Wide of logos of various automakers

30. Wide of people attending the auto show

LEADIN:

The race for greener cars is on. Plug-in hybrids and electric cars took centre stage at the Tokyo Auto Show as manufacturers look to fuel efficient technology to reinvigorate growth.

The showcase for Japan's auto industry was holds the media preview on Wednesday ahead of opening to the public on Saturday.

SHOTLIST

15 March 2009

1. Various of Panasonic news Conference

2. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Fumio Ohtsubo, President of Panasonic Corporation:

"The fiscal Year 2008 was affected by recession started from financial crisis, pressure of low-priced products, shift of demand to emerging market and drastic system change of the market by demand for green technology."

3. Cutaway of reporters

4. SOUNDBITE: (Japanese) Fumio Ohtsubo, President of Panasonic Corporation:

"We will continue to act with speed and throughout to abolish unprofitable business and to realign our global locations."

FILE: 3 February 2009

5. Various of Panasonic flat TVs

STORYLINE:

Panasonic Corporation swung deep into the red last fiscal year, joining the expanding club of big Japanese brands shellshocked by their rapid descent from cash cow to money loser.

The world's biggest plasma TV maker on Friday reported a 378.96 (b) billion yen (four (b) billion US dollars) loss for the fiscal year ended March, its

first loss in seven years, and expects to stay in the red in the current year.

Business slumped across all segments amid lacklustre demand for everything from flat-screen TVs and digital cameras to home appliances and semiconductors.

Sales were down 14.4 percent to 7.77 trillion yen, and operating profit tumbled 86 percent to 72.9 (b) billion yen.

For the January-March quarter, Panasonic booked a record net loss of 444.3 (b) billion yen compared with a profit of 61.6 (b) billion yen a year earlier.

The results represent a swift reversal of fortune for Panasonic, which just last year posted a record net profit of 281.9 (b) billion yen.

But it is only the latest among a score of bellwether brands in Japan releasing grim results as the world's second-biggest economy gets battered by the unprecedented slump in global demand.

On Thursday, rival Sony Corporation said it lost one (b) billion yen last fiscal year.

Toyota Motor Corporation, meanwhile, swung from a record profit to its worst annual loss since being founded in 1937.

Panasonic vowed to press ahead with "drastic business structural reforms" to try to engineer a recovery.

For the 12 months through March 2010, it forecasts a steeper-than-expected net loss of 195 (b) billion yen on sales of 7 (t) trillion yen.

It predicts, however, that operating profit will climb 3 percent to 75 (b) billion yen.

President Fumio Ohtsubo has said he wants to shutter unprofitable business lines, shift resources to those with growth potential and improve product quality.

The firm is closing factories and aims to cut about 5 percent of its 300-thousand-strong global work force by next spring.

The fiscal Year 2008 was affected by recession started from financial crisis, pressure of low-priced products, shift of demand to emerging market and drastic system change of the market by demand for green technology," he said.

The electronics maker is also awaiting legal clearance for its nine (b) billion US dollars takeover of smaller Japanese rival Sanyo Electric Company.

The deal would create one of the world's biggest electronics companies and enable Panasonic to add Sanyo's strengths in "green" energy technology.

Along with the foreign exchange and economic factors, the company blamed its net loss on high restructuring costs.

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide of Nissan news conference

2. Tilt down from Nissan sign to Carlos Ghosn, President and Chief Executive of Nissan Motor Company

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlos Ghosn, President and Chief Executive of Nissan Motor Company:

"It's not finished, it seems that now it's a little bit better, a little bit more stable than two months ago, but we are...I don't consider that this is finished, at any moment you may have another wave of instability coming."

4. Various exterior of Nissan headquarters

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Carlos Ghosn, President and Chief Executive of Nissan Motor Company:

"We are moving forward with our zero emission leadership strategy, which involved the development of the electric vehicles, and the fuel cell vehicles, electric vehicles will be launched first and our production plans are on track, vehicle production will begin in Oppama in the fall of 2010 and we are also exploring other production sites around the globe."

6. Various of Nissan cars at showroom

STORYLINE:

Nissan Motor Company, Japan's No. 3 automaker, reported a 233.7 (b) billion yen (2.4 (b) billion US dollars) annual loss, a reversal of fortune from the previous profitable year but better than the company's own forecasts.

Nissan's Chief Operating Officer said on Tuesday the automaker was hurt by three factors in the fiscal year ended March 2009; the US financial crisis, the global slowdown and the strong yen.

But the company, which is allied with Renault SA of France, is expecting to reduce the red ink for the fiscal year through March 2010, to a 170 (b) billion yen loss, he said.

It was the first time Nissan had sunk to an annual loss since President and Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn took the helm a decade ago under an alliance with Renault SA of France, and wrested Nissan out of near-bankruptcy.

"I don't consider that this is finished, at any moment you may have another wave of instability coming," Ghosn told reporters at Nissan's Tokyo headquarters.

Nissan had recorded a 482.3 (b) billion yen profit for the previous fiscal year ended March 2008.

In February, the automaker projected a 265 (b) billion yen loss for the fiscal year ended March 2009.

Analysts had also made forecasts close to Nissan's.

Nissan is not the only Japanese automaker battered by the global slowdown.

Toyota Motor Corporation, the world's largest automaker, has fared worse, racking up a 436.9 (b) billion yen annual loss, partly because of its size and its past success that had fuelled an ambitious expansion drive.

Honda Motor Company, by contrast, has done better, managing to stay in the black for the fiscal year with a 137 (b) billion yen profit.

Nissan's sales plunged 22 percent from the previous fiscal year to 8.437 (t) trillion yen.

That was also better than Nissan's initial sales forecast.

It sold 3.4 (m) million vehicles worldwide, down 9.5 percent from the previous year, as vehicle sales dropped in the US, Japan and Europe.

But sales grew in China, according to Nissan, which makes the March subcompact and Infiniti luxury models.

Nissan said it expects to sell even fewer vehicles in the current fiscal year at 3.08 (m) million.

Ghosn said the priorities for the year ahead would be to preserve cash, reduce losses and take advantage of the alliance with Renault.

He said Nissan remains focused on its own turnaround and was not entering any projects or partnerships with ailing General Motors Corporation.

The deal that Nissan has with Chrysler SA to produce vehicles for each other will be reviewed because Chrysler may emerge from bankruptcy a "different" entity, Ghosn said.

Fiat is acquiring a 20 percent stake in Chrysler.

Also on Tuesday, Nissan said it will start making electric vehicles at its Oppama Plant in Yokosuka, Japan, from fall 2010, with production capacity of 50-thousand vehicles a year.

Demand for the vehicles is expected to grow with mass-marketing in 2012.

Ghosn expressed hopes that demand would pick up and the yen's strength would abate, helping boost his company's books.

The global auto industry was undergoing drastic change, and the key to determining the winners versus the losers was profitability, not just excellent technology and qualified engineers.