Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivered the opening keynote at CES 2025, announcing a groundbreaking collaboration with Toyota to develop the next generation of autonomous vehicles. Under the partnership, Toyota's upcoming vehicles will incorporate Nvidia's Drive AGX Orin supercomputer and DriveOS operating system to power advanced driver assistance systems.
From skeptic to believer
Toyota Motor Chairman Akio Toyoda, speaking at CES 2025, shared his evolving perspective on autonomous vehicles. "Between you and me, as Toyota's Master Driver, I initially thought autonomous vehicles were a bit boring—until our team showed me these two Toyota race cars that drift autonomously," Toyoda revealed. His wait-and-see attitude toward autonomous technology shifted significantly following Toyota's breakthrough achievement in 2024, when the company, in collaboration with Stanford University, completed the world's first autonomous dual-car drifting maneuver.
Woven City takes shape
The first phase of Woven City, Toyota's futuristic smart city project initially unveiled in 2022, remains on track to launch by fall 2025. The development will serve as a living laboratory, integrating cutting-edge technologies including autonomous vehicles, robotics, and AI systems.
The planned city will showcase a variety of mobility solutions, from personal mobility devices to drones. In a significant development, Toyota is co-developing flying cars with Joby Aviation, aiming to provide seamless transportation between Woven City, situated at the foot of Mount Fuji, and Tokyo, bypassing traditional traffic constraints.
Space aspirations
In a surprising revelation, Toyoda announced Toyota's expansion into space-related ventures. Through its subsidiary Woven by Toyota, the company is investing US$4.44 million in Japanese space firm Interstellar Technologies, focusing on the development of satellite launch vehicles.