Zany and green at the Tokyo motor show

Zany concept vehicles and fuel efficient hybrids vied for attention at the Tokyo Motor Show. Both Toyota and Honda tried to soften the image of sports cars as gas guzzlers with concept hybrids running on a mix of petrol and electricity.  Fuel cells, which run on hydrogen and emit only water, also make an appearance as Honda shows off the “PUYO” concept car with a “gel body” to improve safety and “the feel of an adorable pet”. Despite the success of the hybrid, car makers are still hedging their bets on green technology, with electricity, biofuels, clean diesel and fuel cells also seen as potential alternative power sources.Toyota is among automakers trying to lighten the load so as to reduce fuel consumption, unveiling the 1/X (pronounced one-Xth) plug-in hybrid; the car is said to be two-thirds lighter than Toyota’s hot-selling Prius and twice as fuel efficient thanks to the use of carbon fibre materials.  Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe, trundled onto the stage on the i-REAL, which resembles a high-tech armchair on wheels. Among the more wacky designs on show was Suzuki’s Sharing Coach which looks more like a small spacecraft than a car, with two smaller one-person PIXY pods on wheels that fit snugly inside. Nissan showed off the Pivo 2 egg-shaped electric concept car that has a rotating cabin, can drive sideways and comes with a talking “robot agent” to cheer you up or help with navigation.  Its “Round Box” curvy compact convertible is said to be “like being on a roller-coaster yet without any risk.”