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Toyota and Park24 to Sign Agreement on Car Sharing Service Trial in Central Tokyo

Toyota and Park24 to Sign Agreement on Car Sharing Service Trial in Central Tokyo

Marks start of exploration into joint cooperation to achieve new mobility services

Toyota City, Japan, Apr 3, 2018 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation and Park24 Co., Ltd. announce their decision to start a business tie-up for a trial car sharing service in parts of central Tokyo. To achieve a mobility society that enables every individual to experience the freedom and joy of movement, as well as safe and reliable movement, Toyota has signed an agreement for trial operation with the aim of developing a new service that leverages Toyota's Mobility Services Platform (MSPF).

With the automotive industry in a once-in-a-century transformational period, customer needs are extending beyond traditional vehicle ownership into shared utilization such as car sharing. Based on a mutual desire to realize a mobility society that enables everyone to enjoy freedom of movement, Toyota and Park24 have been collaborating since April 2015 on trial sharing services, such as Times Car PLUS Toyota i-ROAD Drive and Times Car PLUS x Ha:mo, which are based on the concept of personal mobility. The goal is to contribute to the creation of low-carbon and comfortable cities by providing freedom of movement through the construction of a new urban transportation network.

This current initiative is positioned as a trial that is also designed to strengthen cooperation between the two companies, with Toyota's TransLog communication-based drive recorders and both companies' car sharing devices installed in cars operated by Park24's Times Car PLUS car sharing service. Park24's car sharing service operation system will serve as the base, operated through Times Car PLUS, which operates more than 20,000 vehicles and serves 900,000 members. While this trial is expected to produce data to build and enhance the functions of MSPF, the trial will also allow Toyota and Park24 to verify proof of concept toward the realization of future mobility services, onboard terminals, and system development by utilizing the expertise of both companies. Toyota and Park24 anticipate that this trial will help lead to vehicle safety improvements, increased maintenance efficiency, and awareness of autonomous driving technology.

Additionally, Toyota Mobility Service Co., Ltd., a company that is set to begin operations in April, is also expected to play a role in promoting this initiative. For this trial, 60 Toyota C-HR units have been designated as the vehicles for use, and the trial is scheduled for a 10-month period from June 2018 to the end of March 2019.

Building on past initiatives, as well as the just-announced trial agreement, Toyota and Park24 aim to jointly create new mobility services and contribute to society as partners committed to effecting positive change in the future.

About Toyota

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.

Contact:
Public Affairs Division Global Communications Department Toyota Motor Corporation Tel: +81-3-3817-9926

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