At CES 2025, Toyota Motor Corporation announced the completion of phase 1 construction of Toyota Woven City – the company’s test course for mobility, being developed in collaboration with Woven by Toyota (WbyT). The launch of phase 1 is planned for the autumn of 2025.
The Japanese auto maker first announced its transformation into a mobility company at CES 2018 and, at CES 2020, unveiled the Woven City concept to demonstrate Toyota’s commitment to the future of mobility.
Ever since, Woven City has made steady progress at the former site of Toyota Motor East Japan’s (TMEJ) Higashi-Fuji Plant in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Construction of phase 1 buildings – the initial area for co-creation activities – was completed in October 2024, and preparations for the launch are now in progress.
The city’s phase 1 has previously been recognized for its environmentally conscious and human-centric design as it earned Japan’s first LEED for Communities Platinum certification – the system’s highest rank.
Alongside Phase 1 preparations, renovation of a former TMEJ Higashi-Fuji Plant facility into a manufacturing hub for Woven City is also underway, and site preparation work for phase 2 has commenced.
Woven City is a test course for mobility where Toyota and external companies will be able to develop, test and validate innovative products and services. By leveraging Toyota’s decades-long manufacturing expertise and WbyT’s software capabilities, Woven City will offer a “unique environment equipped with the tools and services needed to tackle societal challenges and create future-focused value”, Toyota said.
External startups, entrepreneurs, universities and research institutions are scheduled to be invited to Woven City through an accelerator program, starting in summer 2025. After the official launch and from the autumn of 2025, approximately 100 residents – primarily Toyota and WbyT staff and their families – are expected to participate in co-creation activities as the first residents.
The community will then gradually expand to include external inventors and their families. Phase 1 is projected to accommodate around 360 residents, with the total population, including phase 2 and subsequent phases, expected to reach approximately 2,000.
For a detailed read on the Toyota Woven City, visit the digital version of ATTI’s June 2023 issue.
