Tokyo Motor Show offers peek into Japanese OEM strategy

The recent Tokyo Motor Show (Japan) was significant not only for the absence of just about any foreign manufacturers, but also because it offered a peek into how Japanese manufacturers plan to meet the new U.S. 2016 corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards that are forcing major product planning changes across the board. For the bigger players in the U.S. market, hybrids are the answer—Toyota has unveiled a new plug-in Prius and Honda has revealed a closer-to-production version of its CR-Z hybrid sports car. Mazda meanwhile plans to introduce diesels to its North American line-up, claiming a projected 30% improvement in its fleet fuel economy as a result. However, Nissan is bucking the hybridization trend, looking instead to meet the higher CAFE standards with a combination of smaller cars and electric vehicles (EV). (October 27, 2009)