Tokyo auto show highlights technology but Trump’s tariffs loom large

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TOKYO (AP) — The Tokyo Mobility Show is highlighting more than just cars or the types of fuel they use from electric to hydrogen, but also various kinds of futuristic transport.

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Think scuttling robotic chairs, like the Uni-One from Honda Motor Co. The Tokyo-based maker of the Accord sedan says it is all about personal mobility as a mode for quick transport by 2035. Just sit on the boxlike machine as it zips around quietly.

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Toyota Motor Corp. showed a helicopter-like aircraft with six propellers, which was still in development in cooperation with U.S. aviation company Joby.

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Such gadgetry, as well as more regular vehicles, are on display at the show, which runs through Nov. 9 at Tokyo Big Sight exhibition space. It was previewed to media Wednesday, ahead of its opening to the public Thursday.

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Looming in the backdrop of the fanfare is the threat of auto tariffs under U.S. President Donald Trump, raised to 15% from 2.5%, although an improvement from the 25% he slapped on initially.

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Trump’s tariffs are expected to erase more than 2 trillion yen ($13 billion) off automakers’ annual operating profits, according to calculations from recent earnings.

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Masahiro Moro, chief executive of Mazda Motor Corp., among the worst hit of the Japanese automakers, said his engineers were developing cars that understood drivers’ emotions, as well as those that contribute to sustainability by reducing carbon emissions the more you drove.

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“We believe the joy of driving has the power to shape the future,” he told reporters.

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Nissan Motor Corp. showed a prototype, or experimental model, of its Sakura electric car, fitted with a solar-system roof that slides out at the top, called “Ao-Solar Extender,” to generate power while the car is parked. The word “ao” means “blue” in Japanese.

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Nissan said the model’s message is about adding value to one’s life, as the generated power can be used for other gadgets around the house as well as work as power stations during disasters. The concept car targets environmentally conscious moms, according to Nissan.

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“Japan is at the center of what we do because we are a Japanese company,” Nissan Chief Ivan Espinosa said on the sidelines of the show.

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While in town earlier this week for talks with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump also met with the heads of Japan’s businesses, including Espinosa. The exchange of ideas was constructive, according to Espinosa.

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Nissan, as well as Toyota, said they were considering importing their own models made in the U.S. back into Japan as a way to mitigate the trade imbalance.

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The Japanese government has promised to buy Fords and invest $550 billion in the U.S.

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Japanese automakers export more than a million autos to the U.S., while selling 4.4 million vehicles a year in Japan. Only about 16,000 American cars were sold in Japan, a tiny fraction of the Japanese auto market. Japanese cars make up about 40% of the American market, according to Cox Automotive, although much of the vehicles sold there are made at U.S. plants.