Toyota Chairman Toyoda Steps Down After 15 Years, Hands Over Reins
Toyota Motor Corporation's ambitious project, Woven City, is steadily progressing towards its official launch in the fall of 2025. Located on the site of the former Kanto Auto Higashi-Fuji Plant, Woven City is a testament to Toyota's commitment to innovation and sustainability.
The idea for Woven City, initially a vision for the future, was conceived by an employee at the former Kanto Auto Works (now Toyota Motor East Japan). Akio Toyoda, the owner and founding member of the project, passed the microphone to Akio Toyoda during the 2023 General Shareholders' Meeting, signifying the project's significant role within the company.
At the time of the plant's closure in 2018, Akio Toyoda spoke about the "Connected City" concept, which later became Woven City. The city is designed to demonstrate and test advanced technologies, including autonomous driving within a real-world environment.
Toyota is integrating self-driving features incrementally into its vehicle lineup rather than launching a standalone autonomous vehicle brand. This approach allows the company to scale the technology sustainably while maintaining profitability. The autonomous systems and software development are being advanced through Toyota's strategic subsidiary, Woven Planet, which focuses on mobility solutions and AI-driven automation.
In a significant move, Toyota has formed a partnership with Waymo, effective from April 2025, to accelerate the development and application of autonomous driving technologies. This collaboration includes Woven by Toyota, leveraging combined expertise in software development and mobility innovation, underscoring Toyota's strong commitment to self-driving mobility.
Engineers are actively laying the groundwork for various demonstration trials of these technologies in Woven City, using the city as a testbed for practical autonomous vehicle applications on public roads within the controlled urban environment. The city integrates robotics, autonomous tech, and AI with infrastructure to foster collaboration and innovation.
Akio Toyoda expressed his desire for ongoing support, understanding, and encouragement from shareholders, believing that the future can be created right here in Japan. He hopes that Woven City will continue to receive interest and endorsement from shareholders next year when Phase 1 of the construction is completed.
With Woven City's official launch just around the corner, it is poised to become a pioneering environment for Toyota to test and ultimately commercialize autonomous driving innovations, positioning the city as a significant step forward in the realm of smart cities and autonomous mobility.
[1] Toyota Press Release, "Woven City: Toyota's New Smart City Project," CES 2020. [2] Toyota Press Release, "Toyota and Waymo to Collaborate on Autonomous Vehicle Technologies," April 2025. [3] Toyota Press Release, "Woven Planet: Toyota's New Subsidiary Focused on Mobility Solutions and AI-Driven Automation," March 2024. [4] Toyota Press Release, "Woven City Construction Progress Update," June 2024. [5] Toyota Press Release, "Woven City: A Living Laboratory for Autonomous Driving and Smart City Technologies," July 2024.
- Akio Toyoda, the owner and founding member of Woven City, handed over leadership to another Akio Toyoda during the 2023 General Shareholders' Meeting, significant for the project's strategic role in the business of Toyota Motor Corporation.
- In partnership with Waymo, effective from April 2025, Toyota is using Woven City as a testbed for business applications of advanced autonomous driving technologies, positioning the city as a critical step in the finance sector's shift towards smart cities and autonomous mobility solutions.
