LEADIN:

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

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

STORYLINE:

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

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

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

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

The corporation's President Akio Toyoda explains the concept:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The audience at CES clearly approves.

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

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

CES, Las Vegas, US - 8 January 2017

1. Various of the new Toyota e-Palette

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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."